


Another Dance

by Greeneyesblue



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Torchwood
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reunions, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 09:31:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7042540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greeneyesblue/pseuds/Greeneyesblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Director Coulson is surprised when the supposed inhuman his team retrieves is someone from his past. His presence in Phil’s life again brings back stirring memories and painful regrets. Phil hopes he can convince this man to stay and accept the love he deserves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was my project for Rough Trade April 2016.
> 
> The timing of this is vaguely toward the beginning of season 3 for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I used characters and timelines somewhat loosely, but I also tried to give it a feel as if it would easily slot into the canon universes for both Phil and Jack.

 

  
Daisy shields her eyes against the late afternoon sun as she and Mack walk down the busy New Orleans street. They stop in front of a bar, and Daisy looks to Mack to confirm this is their destination. They had been sent to investigate reports of a potential inhuman with self-healing powers seen frequenting a dive bar here. As the world becomes more aware of inhumans, S.H.I.E.L.D has been trying to make contact with as many as possible, helping them learn to control their powers and hopefully keeping them from falling into the wrong hands.  
  
Stepping inside Daisy can see a few patrons already seated around the place, but decides to head to talk to the bartender before the evening crowd comes in.  
  
“What can I get for you?” The bartender is a friendly middle aged guy, and looks like he has the kind of no-nonsense personality needed to deal with the kind of crowd you might get in a place like this.  
  
“Actually, I’m looking for information on a guy that’s been seen coming in here. People online are speculating about super powers.” Daisy works her laid-back charm on the guy, not wanting to spook him.  
  
“Information, huh? You a cop or something?”  
  
“No, man. I run a blog. It’s sort of an underground news thing, and I heard some pretty weird stuff has been going down and I was hoping to get the scoop on it.”  
  
“So why did you bring tall, dark and scary, then?” The bartender eyes Mack speculatively.  
  
“My brother’s friend. He made me bring him because I got mugged last week and he’s all freaked out that I can’t look out for myself. He’s being a mother hen, but at least I got a babysitter with a hot ass to stare at.” Daisy smiles with a put-upon look that she hopes sells her story. There are advantages to being young and pretty in her line of work, and she isn’t ashamed to use them.  
  
“All right. Will you put the bar’s name in your blog so I can at least maybe catch some extra business out of this? I mean, might as well get something out of it, right?”  
  
“Sure, man. You got it.” Daisy leans in expectantly.  
  
“Well, this guy has been coming around almost every night the last few weeks. Good looking. Maybe mid to late thirties. Kind of hard to tell his age, and he wears kind of retro clothes, I guess. He's left alone a few nights, but usually ends up picking someone up and leaving with them. Girls and guys.  
  
So last night a fight breaks out. I generally don’t have a lot of that kind of thing in here, but it’s bound to happen once in a while. This guy that’s been hanging around jumped in to try and break it up, and another guy pulled a knife and ended up slashing him across the arm. The guy was definitely cut deep and it was bleeding pretty good. While everything was getting sorted, at least a few of us saw the damn thing heal up on its own. It was just a few minutes and it was like it never happened.  
  
I heard a few people talking about it. Said he was one of those new superheroes or something. I don’t know about that, but something is up with that guy, that’s for sure.”  
  
“Wow, thanks. This could be the story I need to get my readership up. Think if I stuck around you could point him out to me? I want to try and interview him.” The bartender nodded and Daisy smiled in thanks and headed over to a corner booth where Mack had set up with a view of the rest of the bar. She filled him in on what she had found out and they settled in to wait and see if the man showed.  
  
They don’t have to wait long before a man walks in dressed in a long overcoat that looks a bit odd for the area. Daisy is pretty sure that’s their guy, but it’s confirmed when the bartender makes eye contact and nods his head toward the man.  
  
“Let’s just watch him for a bit a see if anything stands out.” Mack says.  
  
Daisy can’t help but notice he looks tired. He gives off a vibe of an old soul, even though he doesn’t look it. He sits down on the far end of the bar and seems to be inspecting the other patrons as he slowly sips his drink.  
  
By the time his drink is finished, a couple of larger groups have come in and the place is definitely picking up for the night. The man doesn’t seem any closer to making a move on anyone for the night though, and soon enough he’s getting up to leave. Maybe he senses Daisy and Mack watching him discreetly, or maybe he is getting too many odd looks from the few regulars hanging around.  
  
The mysterious potential inhuman leaves the bar, and Daisy and Mack head out after him, now hoping to catch up and speak with him outside. As they exit the bar, they turn to look down the street just in time to see a group of men push the man down an alley a couple blocks up.  
  
Mack breaks into a run and Daisy is only a step behind. As they near the alley they hear one of the men shout, “You should have minded your own damn business! No one gets away with messing with my crew like that! You hear me? No one!”  
  
The sound of a single gunshot echoes around them. Daisy rounds the corner into the alley first to see the thugs running to a car at the opposite end of the alley and tires squeal as they tear off.  
  
“Oh my god.”  
  
Mack’s exclamation brings Daisy’s focus back to the alley and where Mack is standing near a dumpster a few feet away. The man from the bar is lying in the shadow of the dumpster, shot once through the forehead.  
  
“Oh, shit. Mack, we were too late! What the hell? Those guys just killed him over a bar fight?!”  
  
“Yeah, with all the stuff we see on this job, sometimes it’s still shocking how fucked up us normal humans can be.”  
  
Mack radios to May who is with the quinjet parked not far away.  
  
“We can’t just leave the body here. If he is inhuman we don’t want anyone else thinking they have a new research specimen or something.” Daisy’s voice is a little shaky as she crouches down near the body.  
  
There is a parking lot at the other end of the alley, where the shooter and his group had parked their getaway car. May is able to set the cloaked quinjet down there, and she brings a backboard for them to carry the body on. The three of them quickly strap the man onto the backboard and get him aboard the quinjet before they draw attention to themselves.  
The ride back to the Playground is quiet. Mack sits in back with the body, and Daisy slumps brooding in the copilot seat next to May.  
  
“What a waste of life. We should have chased those guys down and taken them in or something.” Daisy huffs.  
  
Mack gently reminds her of their priorities. “We had to get the body out of there before the local police arrived. If he is inhuman we wouldn’t want anyone else to handle the body. If there were enough rumors to bring us sniffing around, you know other groups might have been too.”  
  
“I have some connections down here. I’ll see if they can find those guys and make sure they get some justice,” May says quietly.

Daisy knows that if May says it, it will happen. Even though it may not be exactly sanctioned, she is relieved to know that there will be justice for this man, whoever he may be. The rest of the ride is quiet aside from Mack radioing in to Coulson and reporting the incident, and Daisy is sure that none of them feel like they got a win today.

  
The quinjet landed in the hangar, and immediately Daisy, Mack and May were met by Jemma with a gurney. They took the body of the man to the lab and Jemma got to work removing the man’s coat and shirt with Lincoln’s assistance, collecting a blood sample and taking photos for the file. The team stood by, at a loss of what to do in the face of such a senseless death, and all curious as to whether or not this strange man would be revealed to be an inhuman.  
  
Joey had come down to the lab with Bobbi and Hunter, having heard what happened. He quietly came to stand at Mack’s side and offered support, placing his hand gently at the small of Mack’s back. They had come together as a couple just a few weeks after Joey had been brought in to S.H.I.E.L.D. They both found some much needed comfort and familiarity, and Joey found a piece of family to fill the void left when he had to separate from his.  
  
Coulson strode into the lab then, heading straight for the gurney to see the retrieved body.  
  
“Jemma, what do we—oh god, Jack!” Phil had stopped near the head of the gurney looking down at the man in shock.  
  
“Director, do you know this man?” Jemma prodded softly.  
  
“Yes. Yes, I do. Everyone back up. Give us some space.” Phil took Jack’s limp hand in his and stood silently looking down at him. No one ignored Phil’s request, and retreated a little ways away. For all appearances, Phil wanted a moment to mourn the loss of a friend.  
  
Jemma, who had only gone as far as the next lab table suddenly spoke into the silence. “Is that bullet wound closing?”  
  
Before anyone could answer, they heard a loud gasping intake of breath and Jack suddenly sat up. He was met with the vision of Phil, and his free hand lurched forward to grab Phil’s shoulder for stability. Everyone was stunned and silent at witnessing the event.  
  
After a few hard breaths, Jack finally finds his voice. “Phil?”  
  
“Yes, Jack. I’m here.” Phil somehow maintains his outward calm, but internally is reeling. He might have met Jack before, but he had never witnessed him come back like this. He knew enough about the man to know it was possible, but the reality was something he found he was not fully prepared for. “Are you ok?”  
  
Jack’s breathing had slowed to almost normal now. “I think so. I’m always ok, right?” Jack’s jaunty grin looked odd on his face with the evidence of dried blood on his forehead where a bullet had killed him a relatively short time before.  
  
“So, Phil. As much as I am glad to see you again, and might I say, you just have gotten better looking since then, where exactly am I and what am I doing here?” Daisy giggled in the background at Jack’s blatant flirting.  
  
“You’re at the Playground. It’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. base. My team heard rumors of a person with healing powers and went to investigate, only to witness your death at the hands of a group of men from the bar brawl. They brought your body back here so we could find out who you were and if you had powers. We didn’t want local police involved and wouldn’t want anyone else thinking they had a new lab specimen.”  
  
“Thanks for that. I’ve done the whole waking up during an autopsy thing, and it is not pretty.”  
  
“I didn’t know it was you until I saw you here,” Phil said more quietly. He furrowed his brown and continued. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again.”  
  
A few seconds passed in silence, then Phil abruptly straightened and pulled his hand from Jack’s. “I’d like Jemma to check you over. I have to get back to my office.” With that, Phil walked quickly out of the lab.  
  
“Well, the infamous Agent Coulson must have very important things to do around here.” Jack chuckled as he spoke.  
  
“Actually, it’s Director,” Jemma replied. “Now, if you’ll allow it, I’d like to take your vitals to make sure you are indeed well.”


	2. Chapter 2

Jemma did a thorough check of Jack’s vitals, finding they were already very normal. Then, after coaxing a few more details from the mysterious Jack Harkness for his file, she escorted him to Coulson’s office. She slipped easily into biologist mode and rambled on for a few moments speculating on the physical reset process Jack must go through for his body to come back to life. Before she could start asking questions, Jack deflected her attention. He wasn't quite sure how deeply he wanted to allow these people to prod into his life history and virtual immortality, and he’d had bad experiences with these science types getting carried away before.

“So, Jemma, how would you like to experience my biology firsthand? You know, the healing factor lends itself to a short refractory period. I'm sure we could conduct some very compelling research on that together.”

“Oh, my…well.” A blush quickly rose to Jemma’s cheeks. “Um, …I, um suppose research could be conducted on the subject. Ah, but I don't think I'm qualified to administer the testing.”

Jack laughed jovially at how flustered Jemma became. “Don't worry that gorgeous genius brain of yours, I can find plenty of other willing research participants.”

Jemma smiled, and gestured Jack to the door of Coulson's office, then left him to go back to the lab.

Jack was highly curious to see the place Agent, now Director, Phil Coulson worked. When they had met before, it had been in Torchwood territory, and Jack had found himself hosting Strike Team: Delta at the Hub.

Phil was at his desk absorbed in his tablet, so Jack took advantage of the situation to look around. After making a slow circuit, amused that the S.H.I.E.L.D director’s style seemed to be a bit more quirky than the clean cut suits let on, he stopped to stand in front of the ax on the wall. Phil finished what he was doing and came to stand beside Jack.

Phil spoke first. “A lot has changed since we last saw each other.”

“This is an interesting decorating choice.” Jack knew he was already deflecting conversation away from himself, but at this point it was practically reflex, born out of need for survival.

“Like I said, a lot has changed we last saw each other.” Phil held up his gloved prosthetic hand and flexed it so Jack could hear the mechanics whir softly. “Something saves your life and it takes on a whole lot of significance.”

Phil moved across the office to sit in a chair, and Jack took the clue and followed suit. He plowed ahead with a question that had been nagging him since he awoke in the base.

“How did you know I would wake up? I'm pretty sure you never witnessed my special talent the first time we ran into each other.”

“U.N.I.T’s files aren't as secure as they like to think. Also, the CIA has some interesting information regarding you. I, ah—I had to find out more about you after that op, so I did some digging on my own and learned a lot.”

“Aww, Phil, you were totally stalking me. I'm flattered.” Jack brought out his special brand of charm once again, not sure what to make of Coulson's interest. “Ok, so tell me again how you found me and I ended up here. I'm still a little fuzzy on that part.”

Phil gave him a brief run down of inhumans, explaining their origin and how more and more with powers were emerging. “And, as you can imagine, there are a number of parties out there that don’t have the best interest of these inhumans at heart. Imagine amassing them to use as weapons, or outright murdering them out of fear of the unknown. We have been using various methods to try and track possible inhumans and bring them in for training to control their powers and to keep them safe if need be. When we heard rumors of someone with accelerated healing, we went to investigate and found you.”

Jack nodded his understanding. “I've seen the news, and I'll admit that the reason I came back to America, to Earth, was because things have been pretty interesting here since New York.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment again. For all his being a super spy, Jack was surprised that Phil wasn't working him more aggressively for information. 

“So, is this all that's left?” Jack gestured as if to encompass the room. “Of S.H.I.E.L.D, I mean. I heard about Hydra infiltrating and giving you guys a hard hit. It's pretty upsetting to know they are back on the scene.”

“This is it, mostly. We are working on building our network of people again, and I'm proud of the fact that we've dealt Hydra some blows in return recently. Our focus right now though, is helping inhumans.”

Phil looked up at Jack. "What were you doing in New Orleans?”

Jack sighed and decided based on the man he knew Phil to be, that he could be honest. “A few years back I lost someone very special to me. I haven't really been motivated to do the whole Torchwood-save-the-earth thing in the same way since, although I can't help getting pulled back once in a while. Since then I've been wandering, both on Earth and off. I guess I figured New Orleans was the kind of town that would have some interesting night life and some interesting people to share a bed with. Keep me entertained for a while.” 

More like busy enough not to feel lonely, but Jack wasn't going to admit that out loud. Jack lapsed into silence and Phil, ever tactful, didn't pry further.

“So are you and Barton still together?”

“No. We decided to end it not long after that mission we had when we ran into you. Clint realized that he couldn't be with someone that lived the job with him. He needed someone outside it that could be a safe haven for him. He met a wonderful woman named Laura. Fury set them up with a farm in a discreet location and they have three kids now.” Phil smiled thinking of them.

“He has a normal life to escape to. It’s not the kind of life I would want, but it's what he needed and he’s happy.”

“Do you still work with Clint now that he’s a big bad Avenger?”

"Actually, all the Avengers believe I'm dead. I did die for a time during the battle of New York, but Fury, without my prior consent, used a new medical procedure that wasn't exactly free of alien influence and brought me back. I keep tabs on Clint and his family, but as far as I know he still believes me to be dead.”

Jack chuckled. “That's a hell of a way to avoid your ex, but I can't say I haven't done the same thing a few times.”

Phil laughed lightly at that.

“There have been a couple others since Clint. Very recently I lost someone I thought could have been very special. We just never got the chance to find out.”

“I'm sorry,” Jack met Phil’s eyes with sincerity.

Jack cleared his throat. “So what are you going to do with me now?”

“Well, that's entirely up to you. At the very least I can offer you a bed for the night and a ride to wherever you'd like in the morning. I can't deny though, that we could use the help right now if you wanted to stick around for a while.”

“Yeah, you seem to have some interesting things going on here Director Coulson, and I think I wouldn't mind staying for a bit.” Jack smiled and realized he did genuinely want to stick around and see what Phil Coulson was all about after all these years. Add in a little danger and intrigue in the form of people with super powers and shady government organizations, and this could prove to be a good time.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack decided to explore a bit after waking up the next morning. The accommodations on the base weren't anything fancy, but were plenty comfortable. He followed the smell of coffee to a kitchen and lounge area, where he found someone else fixing a cup.

“Hi. You must be Mr. Harkness. I'm Bobbi.” She finished stirring the contents of her mug and held out her hand for Jack to shake.

He did so. “Please, call me Jack. Now, how do I convince someone as obviously smart and beautiful as you to have coffee with me in a more private setting?”

“Wow, Jemma warned me about that.” She laughed lightly. “Unfortunately for you, I’m currently spoken for by my ex-husband.”

“Sounds fun, and complicated, but you seem like the kind of woman to have good taste in men, so why not get the three of us together?”

Bobbi laughed a little harder. “Your persistence is admirable, but we don't do that sort of thing anymore.”

“Too bad. Let's hope the coffee around here is good enough to smooth over being rejected by beautiful people at every turn.” Jack affected a relaxed smile and poured himself a cup.

Just then Phil stuck his head in the door and asked Jack and Bobbi to join him for a quick team meeting. 

The whole staff was already gathered in a conference room when Jack walked in.

“Seriously Phil, do you even hire anyone who isn’t gorgeous?”

A quickly stifled giggle was heard from someone as Phil just rolled his eyes.

“Ok everyone, this is Jack Harkness, formerly of Torchwood. He’ll be consulting with us for an indeterminate amount of time. He has extensive experience dealing with aliens, both those that have been a threat to Earth, and those that are friendly towards humans. He has worked with both U.N.I.T and the CIA during his more recent career. Before we knew who it was causing the rumors of someone with healing powers in New Orleans, we believed he could be an inhuman. Jack is not an inhuman. He is actually a human from the 51st century.”

This statement was met with some confused looks amongst the team, but everyone remained silent to hear the rest of the explanation.

“Due to an incident involving a time traveling alien and his space ship, Jack is virtually immortal. He comes back from death, no matter the cause or injury. Usually this isn’t information he shares publicly, but considering you all saw it happen, I thought it best everyone was on the same page. Thanks, everyone, that’s all.”

The group dispersed and left Jack alone in the room with Phil.

“Now that you’re a team member, as it were, would you like a tour of the place?”

Jack smiled easily. “I’d love one, as long as you’re the tour guide.”

Phil takes Jack through the firing range and training facilities, as well as the labs. They end up in the hangar after that. Jack smiles at the sight of Mack leaning over the engine of an SUV with Joey looking on. As they approach, Mack straightens and hands Joey two pieces of a bolt that has been sheared off.

“See if you can fix this one for me, babe.” Mack’s confidence in Joey in evident in his tone.

Joey moves to hold the pieces of bolt over a workbench. Jack then notices a small pile of various sized pieces of melted metals on the surface nearby. They watch Joey attempt to carefully melt and form the metal of the small part, but after only a few seconds, the pieces suddenly dissolve into liquid and fall to the work surface. Joey grips the edge of the table tightly, clearly frustrated with the outcome.

Mack doesn’t hesitate to step in for support. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get it. Think of how far you’ve come with your powers already. You’re already out there saving lives, Joey. You’ll figure out the detail work eventually.”

“Hey now, I for one thought it was really hot!” Jack jumped in immediately to lighten the mood, and his cocky smile is met with a glare from Mack and another eye role from Phil. 

“Maybe you should tone it down for us mere 20th century humans, Jack.”

“Aww, come on, Phil. It was funny! And I’m sure Mack would agree with me that Joey is really sexy.”

Jack laughs as Joey blushes. Phil prods Jack further into the hangar with a hand on his back, and Jack soaks up the warmth of his touch as they continue. There is just something about Phil that makes Jack feel more emotion than he has in a while.

They end up behind a huge aircraft that Phil tells him is called the Zephyr One. It’s impressive in size, and Jack is excited when Phil opens the back hatch and leads him inside. Their tour of the craft ends up in a small lounge area with a bar.

“I still didn’t get a fishtank, but this thing has some creature comforts.” Phil smiles as he pours Jack and himself some scotch. They sit on one of the couches and take a few sips in silence.

Phil turns to Jack and smiles as he asks, “So I did some research on you over the years, and I have to ask, is all that stuff about 51st century pheromones true, or is that all your sparkling personality?”

Jack chuckles before responding. “Sexuality did evolve over time for the human race, and because of that it’s second nature for me to think of virtually anyone as a potential sexual partner.”

“It doesn’t mean that I don’t need or want a romantic relationship in my life though. Actually, I have learned over the decades that the emotional connection of a relationship may be the only thing to keep me sane over my extended lifetime, even if I always outlive my partners.”

“I feel free to find a relationship now more than ever with more public interactions with aliens and enhanced humans on Earth. I don’t need to be as careful who knows my secret, and I don’t have to necessarily run when I don’t age at the same rate as my partner. I’ll still probably always be drawn to more dangerous jobs, because I feel like I have less to lose in service to the greater good than most people. I’ll always want to protect Earth, and even though I already lost one partner that way, I don’t think I’ll be able to give it up. I keep coming back, after all.”

Jack stops and wonders what it is about Phil that makes him feel free to let down the masks of his charm and talk about himself. He feels somewhat vulnerable and exposed to Phil, and can’t help but change the subject to draw attention away from his personal exposition.

“So do you always drink during the day on your plane with your new recruits?”

Phil laughs lightly, and Jack loves being able to see that ever calm and collected face light up. That’s the thing about Phil though, even though his exterior of calm rarely recedes, he’s always accessible, never disingenuous.

“We have nothing pressing at the moment, and I thought taking the time to catch up with you would be nice.”

Jack can’t help but smile back at Phil. “Do you remember the case when we met? When we got to go drinking at pubs and clubs all day looking for that woman who had stumbled on that—what did you call it?—0-8-4?”

“Yes, and 0-8-4. What was your technical term for it?”

“We just called it space junk the rift spit out.” Phil laughs again at that.

“I can’t believe she thought she had discovered a prototype for the yet to be released iPhone.”

“I know, and we spent an entire week trying to run into her at every local hangout trying to catch her showing it off,” Jack commiserated.

“It was lucky the device’s power source was dead, otherwise who knows who or what she could have called.”

“You can’t deny it made for a fun week though. My favorite part was showing up those young agents of yours when we could dance better than any of them at that club that played the big band music.”

“Well everyone but Natasha. She could have out danced us all, but didn’t want to stand out in the crowd.” Phil stood and crossed the room to fiddle with a tablet sitting on the bar. “I think I have some Glenn Milller on a playlist.”

After a moment Moonlight Serenade begins to play over the speakers in the room. Phil goes back to sit next to Jack, but Jack quickly stands and pulls him up.

“You can’t get away with not dancing after putting on that music.”

Jack takes the lead and they start a slow casual waltz in the small open area of the room. Soon though, they abandon the steps in favor of slow sway as they pull closer to each other. Jack can't help but feel that they fit perfectly like this. He lets a pang of longing at missed opportunity pass through him momentarily before mentally shaking himself back to the present.

Phil looks up to meet Jack’s eyes, his gaze filled with the weight of shared memories. After only a moment’s hesitation, Phil brushes a soft kiss across Jack’s lips. He pulls back to gauge Jack’s reaction, but before either can say or do anything else they hear someone come jogging into the room and come to an abrupt stop.

“Is this how you welcome all your new recruits, boss? If so, I feel like I missed out on part of the orientation.” Mack is unsuccessfully trying to hold back a smirk.

Phil clears his throat and steps out of Jack’s arms. “I was just showing Jack around, and we got to reminiscing.”

“Hey, man. No problem. At least I didn’t find you necking in Lola’s back seat.”

“Oh, now Lola sounds like a lady I’d like to meet,” Jack quickly replies.

“Don’t worry Jack, I’ll definitely let you taker her for a ride.” Phil has a slight smirk and his eyes glint with mirth.

Mack is startled into a laugh, and Jack just grins widely.

“What? I can do the innuendo thing too.”

Mack just shakes his head as he follows Phil and Jack out of the plane and to the conference room.

~~~~~

After they have joined the rest of the team in the conference room, Daisy fills them in on what she has found.

“There have been some rumors of mass hallucinations at this college campus.” She points to a map pulled up on the screen behind her. “Local police are speculating about a new designer drug, but I think it’s a possible inhuman.”

A Youtube clip is pulled up on the screen, the caption of which says the person recorded a “vision” of the professor teaching without pants. They watch the clip, and everything appears fine. No supposed vision is captured on film, but it is clear the class is reacting. The students are all laughing and the professor seems quite embarrassed. Daisy stops the clip and points to one student who was not laughing, but was holding his hands over his ears and had his eyes closed tightly.

“Clearly this guy is in distress. The comments on the video include a story from a couple of people of another vision that happened at a frat house party where several people saw one of the popular frat members, appearing slightly younger, being berated by his dad. No one points out a direct connection, but this doesn’t sound like a drug to me. This sounds like someone is pulling fears or memories or both from people’s minds and projecting them for others to see. Why, I don’t know, but maybe they can’t control it.”

Daisy appeared confident in her assessment of the situation, and Phil agreed.

“I think this is worth investigating. Daisy, Mack, Joey, and I will be the team to go. Jack, would you like to tag along? This person, if they are inhuman doesn’t appear to be particularly dangerous, so it may be a good way to introduce you to the field.”

Jack agrees and the group disperses to head out to the college.

Jack is glad when Daisy doesn’t hesitate to include him. “Come on then, us shady government organization types with superpowers need to stick together.”

“You’re inhuman?” Jack asked casually.

“Yep! Mack doesn’t call me Tremors for nothing.”

Intrigued, Jack follows to join the team in preparing for the trip.

After a relatively short ride in the quinjet to the quiet Midwestern college town, they cloak it and set it down near the campus quad. Phil decides it would be easiest to split up into teams to start investigating and asking around for information. He and Joey head for the library, while he sends Jack and Daisy off to the student union. Phil asks Mack to stay with the quinjet and monitor their comm units.

Jack can’t help but laugh when Daisy starts to tease him on their way to the large building across the lawn.

“I feel like I’m walking around with a cosplayer.”

“Oh, come on. This jacket cuts a classic silhouette. Besides, it fits right in with all these little hipsters.”

“Not so much. You mostly look like a middle aged man trying to hard.”

“I take offense to that! At my age, I should at least be considered elderly.”

Jack affects a haughty air that has Daisy laughing loudly as they enter the lounge area of the building. They find a few students sitting around and walk over to ask if they have heard anything about visions or hallucinations around campus.

“Yeah, I’ve heard some weird stories, man,” replies a girl, while popping earbuds out of her ears and sitting forward.

“If you have any information it would be helpful. We are on a special task force looking for information on a possible new designer drug on the market.”

Daisy spins a story vague enough to keep them talking, but before anyone can say anything else a student at a nearby table stands abruptly, knocking his chair back, and shoves his books in his backpack before running out of the building. Jack immediately jogs out to catch up with him.

“Hey, kid. Is everything alright?”

“Stay away from me! Leave me alone!”

Jack is suspicious and keeps pushing. “Do you know anything about the visions people have been seeing around here?”

Daisy is quickly catching up to them, and Jack can see she is talking into the comms to alert the others to the situation. After a moment she sees Phil and Joey come out of the Library and head towards them, and Mack appears from nearby and heads their direction as well.

Daisy approaches the nervous student. “I’m Daisy. What’s your name?”

“Ben. Stay back!”

“If something is going on here, we can help you, Ben.” Daisy tries to appear non-threatening, and doesn’t move any closer, leaving her and Jack standing at least fifteen feet back.

Joey recognized the kid from the youtube video right away and tried to get closer. “I know you feel like you can’t control what’s going on, but believe me, we can help you with that. We can help you learn to control it. Just talk to us, please.”

“Don’t come any closer to me!”

But it seems the warning was too late, because the air shimmers in front of them and they all see a vision of Joey’s old apartment. Shocked, Joey stumbles back a few feet. The vision shows Joey in the kitchen making bacon and pancakes, and humming softly to himself. The scene appears to be a happy one at first. After a moment another man walks into the room, presumably Joey’s ex.

After a moment the vision of Joey speaks. “Hey, I was just making breakfast for you.”

“I don’t want to eat that crap, and if you keep eating like that you’ll gain more than the few pounds you already have in the last few months.”

In the vision, Joey is visibly hurt by the comment and stops turning the bacon in the pan. As he grabs a banana and heads toward the door, the other man calls back, “Don’t forget to take your fish oil. I want to hit the gym before work. Maybe if you spent more time at the gym instead of working on your bike, we could eat bacon once in a while.”

Joey just slumps against the kitchen counter, clearly discouraged. At this moment the vision fades, and Mack steps up to place a comforting hand on Joey’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry!” Ben franticly calls out. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why this keeps happening. I don’t want to embarrass or hurt anyone. I can’t help it.”

Jack breaks the uncomfortable tension. “Well that guy was clearly and ass, but now you have superpowers, so you win!”

“Do you think this happens when you feel threatened?” Phil approaches and asks Ben calmly. “We only want to help you and protect you from people that might want to exploit your abilities. We won’t hurt you or force you into anything.”

As he spoke, Phil had been stepping closer, and when Ben realizes it he calls out again.

“Stay back! I don’t want to keep doing this! I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore! The first time this happened was a couple weeks ago. My roommate was getting on my nerves and I ended up projecting a vision of him as a child in a car accident that killed his mom. I made him relive that. I can really hurt people! You have to stay away from me!”

Daisy tries again. “Look, Ben. I have powers too.” She gestures a hand toward a pebble on the sidewalk and makes it tremble enough for Ben to see. “I was scared of this at first too, but I learned to control it, and now I can use it in my job to help people. I can save lives.”

While she had been talking Coulson had continue approaching Ben slowly. He lightly places a hand on his arm. “We can help you, Ben. Please.”

Ben is startled, and jerks back as the air shimmers around them again. The vision this time is of Phil and Jack sitting on a couch in the dimly lit Torchwood hub. Jack recognizes it as the case where they first met, and he’s puzzled why this would be the vision Ben projects.

In the vision Phil and Jack are sharing a drink.

“My team is heading back to the States tomorrow,” Phil says between sips.

There is a moment of silence and when Phil leans back from putting down his glass, Jack slowly leans forward and kisses him. Phil starts to pull back, but before he can, Jack has his hand on his cheek and silences his protest with his thumb on his lips.

“Would you want to stay a few extra days? I feel like we made a real connection, Phil. It would be great. You and me and few days to ourselves in a hotel up the coast.”

Phil sighed. “I’m sorry Jack. Clint and I just started something together, and I’d like to see where it goes.”

“Ok. I understand.”

Another moment of silence passes between them.

“Maybe you should give that Ianto kid a try on your team. He seems persistent. Besides, he would look great in a suit.”

Jack chuckles. “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that.”

As Phil stands to leave, the scene fades.

Everyone is left standing in confused silence, which Jack is the first to break. “Ok, I know why that would bother me, but I don’t understand how it would hurt Phil, and he was the closer perceived threat to Ben.”

“It hurts me because it’s one of my biggest regrets in life,” Phil says baldly.

“What is?” Jack is confused.

“Letting you go.” Phil turns and quickly walks toward the quinjet, leaving the now subdued Ben to be corralled by Daisy.

Everyone boards the quinjet, and Ben rides in the containment unit for fear of causing any more visions. Phil is quiet on the ride back to the Playground, looking busy on his tablet. Jack guesses he doesn’t like to appear so vulnerable in front of his team.

When they arrive Phil sends Ben off to get settled with Daisy, and disappears, presumably to his office. Jack figures he needs some space, so he wanders the base a bit until he finds himself in the kitchen. Mack and Joey are there cooking pancakes.

“Wow, now there’s a nice view,” Jack quips as he comes into the room.

Joey smiles. “Let me guess, you were going to make a joke about hotcakes.”

“Aww, you guys never let me have any fun. Besides, you two hotcakes are no joke.”

“Want any?” Mack gestures to the pile already on a plate on the table.

They all settle in to eat. After a moment Joey speaks up. “So that was awkward out there today.”

“Yeah, and the irony is that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that moment with Phil since I woke up here.”

Jack sighed and continued. “It’s been a rough couple of decades. I find people tend to fade quickly from my memory if they aren’t a part of my current life. There’s just so much to remember over a hundred years, you know? Some people stick with me though. I think Phil is one of those people that impacted me enough to stand out for centuries.”

“Maybe you should stick around a while then, and enjoy this second chance to spend time with someone who so clearly matters to you,” Mack said in a low calm voice.

“Yeah, the thing is, I can’t figure out if Phil wants me in his life though. I mean we spent a week together on a case before, but that’s not necessarily the foundation for anything.”

“Look, I’m guessing he needed a moment to himself after the whole vision fiasco. He’s not the type of guy to like his personal life exposed in front of people, but I know him well enough by now to know he doesn’t take anything good in life for granted, especially good people.”

“Thanks, Mack. You know, you guys are lucky to have each other.” Saying a brief thanks for the comfort food, Jack heads off to find Phil.

As Mack had predicted, Phil is doing busywork in his office. Jack sits down in the chair in front of Phil’s desk and gets right to the point. “Why do you regret that moment between us years ago, when you had a new relationship with Clint to look forward to?”

Phil sighs and sets aside his tablet. “I knew Clint and I were doomed from the start. I couldn’t give Clint the quiet life and family he needed, and I regret not pursuing you because I know we wanted a similar lifestyle. We are the kind of men that both work and love passionately and having those two things intersect works for us.”

“Since we are being totally honest here, I also thought I saw in you someone who needed a strong person to stand alongside him, but also be his port of safety in a storm.” Phil fell silent for a moment. “I hope Ianto was that for you.”

“He was,” Jack said softly. “I loved him deeply and loved working and fighting the good fight alongside him. I always knew he would never live as long as me, but for the first time in a long time someone knew who I was and I wasn’t building a relationship on lies and half-truths. He was ripped away from me far sooner than I expected, but I’ve had time to grieve him. That doesn’t mean I can love someone again the same way right now, but at least I’ve been able to let him go and keep the memories without them crushing me.”

Phil leaned forward, folding his arms on the desk. “Jack, maybe you should try giving S.H.I.E.L.D. a chance a while longer and see if you can find another safe port in a storm.”


	4. Chapter 4

Jack spent the next couple days wandering the base and getting to know a little more about S.H.I.E.L.D. He checked in on Ben a couple times, and was glad to see that Daisy was making sure he felt comfortable, and they had been starting to work on how he might control his powers. Jack really enjoyed the people Phil had pulled together here. They were all brilliant in their own way and clearly cared passionately about their work. It made him miss his Torchwood days a little. The only disappointment had been that Phil was busy doing things Directors of secret government organizations do, and they hadn’t really had any more time together.

One morning Phil called an urgent meeting, and Jack found himself gathered with everyone in the briefing room. Lincoln thought he had a lead on a location to intercept Lash, and they needed to decide how to proceed.

“Who or what is Lash?” Jack asked.

“Lash is an inhuman that had a dramatic transformation that included a few different powers.” Phil put a picture of Dr. Andrew Garner on the screen alongside a picture of the transformed Lash. “He was formerly a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychologist and May’s ex-husband. As Lash, he now feels it is his duty to eliminate other inhumans because some may be evil. He has been locating them through various means and killing them when he finds them. We had him contained at one point, but he escaped and has been on the run since.” Phil had the grace to ignore Jemma’s guilty look at that last statement.

“Ok, wow, yeah he sounds like bad news.”

Daisy was the first to volunteer for the mission to pursue him. Lincoln, Joey and Mack also volunteered. Phil assigned May to be their pilot.

Jack was a bit puzzled by that. “Is that a good idea? Weren’t you married to the guy once?”

“That hasn’t stopped me from shooting him before.” Jack had to appreciate a woman who was that badass.

“I’ll go too, if that’s ok, Director.” Jack put on his best smile for Phil as he said it.

“I think the team we have set up is all we need Jack. We’ve dealt with him before. He’s tough, but we know how to handle him.”

“Come on, Phil. Don’t ruin my fun. I’m good with a gun, and it’s not like he can really kill me.”

Phil relented easily, recognizing that Jack was bored and wanted to get in the field, and the team packed up to head out.

The quinjet eventually landed in a nondescript neighborhood and landed cloaked in a park. Before they disembarked, Lincoln explained the details of why they thought Lash is here.

“I still have some connections through Afterlife, and there have been some rumors that Lash is looking for inhumans again. There were some rumors of possible sightings of him around here, and I know there is a young inhuman that lives in the apartment building here with her parents. She came to Afterlife for a short time when her powers manifested, but has since been able to live a normal life. The sightings seem to indicate that he has been stalking the building in the evenings for about the past week looking for an opportunity to strike.”

They divided into pairs to find surveillance positions around the building. Joey and Mack stuck together, as well as Daisy and Lincoln, leaving Jack with Agent May. May was always quiet and stoic, but Jack couldn’t help trying to get under her crunchy shell to what he was sure was a soft gooey center while they waited.

“So Lash is your ex. That’s got to be weird.”

May gave him a look that Jack figured had killed lesser men. “Andrew was my ex. Lash is something and someone else entirely.”

Jack wisely fell silent after that.

After a few minutes, May spoke again quietly. “Don’t break his heart.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just don’t give him hope if you’re not going to stay. Phil and I have known each other a long time and I know how hard and fast he falls, and how loyal he is to the people he cares about. Don’t take advantage of that.”

“I’m not sure I’m ready for what Phil wants, but I’ve been clear with him about that from the beginning.” Jack continued with a smile. “We’ve been communicating like adults and everything.”

At that May just gave him an incredulous stare.

“What? I might be more open with sex that you people, but I’m not cavalier when it comes to real emotions.”

Jack is saved by the bell when Daisy radios that they see Lash approaching an entrance on the opposite side of the building from their position. Jack and May duck into the door nearest them and head for the stairs. The apartment where the inhuman and her family live is on the third floor, so they start heading directly there.

When they open the stairwell door onto the third floor they can see Lash is already there and approaching an apartment door about halfway down the hall.

“Hey!” Jack calls out and runs toward him, gun raised, stopping just a few feet away. “What are you doing here, buddy?”

A gravelly voice responds. “I need to eliminate the unsafe inhuman. We can’t let them live amongst everyone. We have to keep the world safe, or they will overpower everyone with the darkness inside them!”

“And you don’t have darkness inside you?”

“I have a moral responsibility to do this!” Jack is a little thrown by the fact that a creature that looks like a monster is trying to debate him on ethics.

“And what qualifies you to be judge, jury and executioner, huh? Who will protect the world from you?”

Lash growls at Jack, clearly impatient with this interruption to his goal. He lunges at Jack suddenly, but Jack dodges just in time and fires a shot at him. Never having experienced his strength firsthand, a look of surprise washes over Jack’s face as Lash grabs him by the front of his shirt and lifts him into the air. Before anyone else can make a move, Lash throws him so forcefully toward the end of the hall, that Jack crashes through the large window there and falls.

May had been standing a ways behind Jack, backing him up with her own weapon. She quickly runs to the window, only to see Jack has obviously died from the three story fall to the sidewalk below. She turns back to fire on Lash, but before she does, Daisy and Lincoln burst through the stairwell door at the opposite end of the hall. Seeing the threat, Daisy immediately launches force waves at Lash, propelling him through the window as well.

Mack and Joey were just approaching Jack’s body below when Lash comes crashing down. His superior form isn’t killed on impact, but he is slow to pick himself up and stumble back a few feet from the agents.

“Stop!” Mack calls out, but in the next moment they are all shocked as Jack gasps awake, sitting up.

“No!” Lash practically growls, pointing at Jack. “You’re one of them! You’re an inhuman!”

“Hey now, don’t be rushing to any conclusions here. I’m not actually inhuman, but due to circumstances beyond my control I just might be immortal.”

“No one should have that much power! No evil should be allowed to live forever!” Before anyone can stop him, Lash blasts an energy beam directly through Jack’s chest. Mack and Joey can do nothing but stare in horror as Jack’s once more limp body falls to the ground, with a gaping hole in his torso.

 

Mack snaps out of it in time to fire a couple of shots at Lash’s retreating form. When May, Daisy and Lincoln come running out of the building a moment later, Mack and Joey run in the direction Lash disappeared, hoping they can track him down and contain him. Daisy radios back to base to let Phil know Jack is down and that Mack and Joey are pursuing Lash on foot.

“Coulson says we should get Jack on the jet, and then see if we can help Mack and Joey.”

May jogs back to the quinjet and returns with a stretcher. They gently load Jack onto it, and secure him.

“This looks bad, May.” The gaping wound is even more awful up close. “Will he be able to come back from this?”

“I’m not sure what the limits are for his whole immortality thing, but at the very least we have to get his body back to base.” May replies softly. They treat Jack with reverence and care as they carry the stretcher back to the quinjet.

Just as they are finishing getting Jack settled, Mack radios that they lost Lash. They load up and pick Mack and Joey up several blocks away. The ride back is decidedly more somber than the ride out. Not only is Jack’s particular charm missing, but it’s clear on everyone’s faces that they are worried about the extent of his injury and his ability to heal.

When they arrive back at the Playground, Phil meets them as they are bringing Jack off the jet. They didn’t bother to cover Jack with anything, and Phil pales at the sight of the gaping hole in Jack’s chest.

“This one’s going to really hurt to come back from,” Phil comments, almost to himself.

As soon as they get Jack in the med bay, Jemma begins to look him over, but she is quickly overwhelmed.

“I don’t know what I can do for him. He’s actually dead and none of his body systems are functioning. Can his body even heal itself from something like this?”

“He’s come back from worse. I read in his file that someone put a bomb in his stomach once. It just may take time. You don’t need to wait for him. I will.” Phil pulled a chair up beside the gurney and took Jack’s hand. It was late and there was no need for anyone else, so eventually they all trickled out to go to bed or do other things.

After a couple hours, Jemma returns to check the wound. “It looks like the chest cavity is beginning to regenerate. I’d be fascinated if I weren’t so disturbed that he had to be killed like this. It appears as though the inside of the body is healing itself first, and I think that means he may wake up before his body is completely healed. Even when his heart and lungs are able to restart, there may be a lot of skin and tissue still to regenerate.”

“Thanks, Jemma. I’ll let you know if anything changes.” Phil already looks exhausted, and his vigil has only begun.

“It’s the least I could do, sir.”

The night passes slowly for Phil. He can’t stop thinking about the pain Jack must have been in to die this way and how much he wishes he could take that pain away from him. He is worried that after this brutal attack, Jack won’t want to stay, on the team or with Phil. Phil really hoped that after finding each other again all these years later, their opportunity for more together wasn’t slipping away before his eyes.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Phil is finally dosing lightly, but before he can fall deeply asleep he is woken by a gut wrenching scream. Jack is awake and screaming in pain. It’s the worst sound Phil has ever heard and he feels sick that he can’t do anything about it. He pulls back the sheet they had covered Jack with to see flesh and skin knitting together before his eyes. It looks red, raw and painful, like the worst kind of burn. He radios Jemma to get down there as soon as possible.

Jemma rushes in and looks over the wound herself. By now Jack is reduced to continually screaming and keening in pain, chest heaving and limbs trembling. Even though he must have a high pain tolerance from many violent deaths, this level of pain is beyond what any person can endure.

“Jemma, can you do anything? We have to do something!”

“I think we could try pain medication now that his circulatory system is operating again.” Jemma quickly turns to prepare an IV.

Phil realizes that Jack is now squeezing his hand hard. He leans in to place his free hand on Jack’s cheek. “Jack. Jack! I’m sorry! Hang on, we are going to try to get you something for the pain. Just hang on!”

Jemma swiftly inserts the IV into Jack’s arm and hangs a bag of saline on the stand. She then injects the line with morphine.

They both wait a moment, enduring the pained moans coming from Jack, but soon he starts to calm, the medicine doing its job. Jack is still breathing heavily, but he seems to be in much less pain now.

“Phil?”

“Yes, Jack. Right here. I’m right here with you.”

Jack opened blue eyes wet with tears to look into Phil’s. “I don’t know how many more times I can do this, and the worst part is knowing that I don’t have a choice.” Jack pauses, breathing heavily for a moment. “I can’t stop it. I can’t just let go and die. I’m so tired, Phil. I’m so tired of coming back.”

Phil’s heart breaks for Jack in that moment. He can’t imagine living the life Jack has had, and enduring the pain and hardship he has experienced. Phil has had his own traumatic experience with death and resurrection against his will, so he can probably relate to Jack more than anyone, but to live like that for decades and centuries is hard to even fathom. Phil gives Jemma a significant look, and is relieved she understands when he sees her preparing a sedative for Jack’s IV.

“Shhh, Jack. Don’t worry about all that right now. Just rest. I’m here for you. I’m not leaving. Just get some rest.”

The sedative reacts quickly with Jack’s already weakened system and he drops off to sleep fast. Jemma checks his vitals and checks that everything with the IV is set up correctly, and Phil thanks her again as she leaves.

When she is gone, Phil slumps in his chair and lays his head on the edge of the bed, still holding Jack’s hand. He promises himself he’ll do everything he can to give Jack some peace and happiness for as long as he is allowed.

~~~~~

Jack wakes the next morning when Jemma comes in to check on him.

“Good morning, Jack. I see your skin has finished healing, but I’d like to keep you here a while longer and give you some hydrating fluids and more rest, if you’ll allow it.”

“That would be fine. I can’t imagine finding the strength to get out of this bed at the moment.” Jack smiles a little as he says it.

Jemma returns the smile and leaves once her tasks are finished.

Jack moves his hand out from under Phil’s and gently strokes his hair, down the back of his head and down his neck a few times. Phil stirs and sits up, looking Jack over.

“You don’t look like you were resting peacefully.” Jack spoke quietly as if trying to prolong the peace of the moment.

“I was worried about you”

“Eh, you know me. I always come back.”

“But it always hurts.”

At that Jack grows quiet and looks down, contemplating the new skin on his chest.

“Look, you deserve a break. You had a good idea all those years ago. A few days, just you and me away from everything. There is a cabin, a safe-house, we could use. It’s comfortable and remote.”

Phil looked so hopeful that Jack would say yes, and Jack had no intention of denying that he wanted all that with the other man. “Yeah, Phil. That sounds perfect.”

The genuine but shy smile he got from Phil was enough to set his tired body singing with warmth. Maybe he could do this. Maybe he could have a life and love again, with this man. Jack couldn’t help but smile in return.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Jack was feeling more like himself. He recruited Daisy to help him shop for some casual clothes to take to the cabin. Jack typically traveled very light and didn’t have any replacements for the clothes ruined when Lash attacked. Inviting Daisy may have been a mistake on his part, because he endured plenty of heckling from her. In the end though, he left with a few outfits that were both practical, and Daisy assured him, made his ass look great. He had the director of a super secret agency to seduce, after all.

Jack walked into the hangar to see Phil bent over, placing some luggage in the trunk. Jack whistled in appreciation of the view. Phil straightened and Jack gave him a once over, appreciating the well-fit jeans and warm brown leather jacket over a t-shirt. Phil almost blushed at the appraisal.

“Hey, come meet Lola.” Jack walked over, and when he got within reach, he was pleased that Phil didn’t hesitate to put an arm over his shoulder and lead him along. “She’s a ’62 Corvette. My dad and I worked on restoring her together, and he gave it to me years later. The upgrades were more recent though.”

“Upgrades?”

“Get in. I’ll show you.”

Phil was climbing in the driver’s seat when Jack hopped over the passenger door, landing next to him with a grin. Phil just gave him an answering smile that clearly said “you’re ridiculous, but I love it.” The hangar bay doors opened, and without saying a word, Phil gave Jack a smirk then steered Lola into the air. She hovered a few feet off the ground before swooping cleanly out of the hangar. Jack just threw his head back and laughed. Of course the ever stoic and professional Phil Coulson had a flying red convertible.

The flight was over an hour, but they enjoyed the views of the landscape and setting sun as they went. They didn’t talk much, just taking in the ride. As dusk was falling, they landed in a clearing next to a cabin on a lake.

“See, I told you you’d get to take Lola for a ride,” Phil said.

“But I didn’t get to drive.”

“Yeah, I meant a literal ride. No one drives her, except me.”

Jack laughed. “Well at least I know you’re committed to your woman.”

They head into the cabin, and Phil tells Jack to make himself comfortable while he unpacks. Jack decided to make himself useful and build a fire in the fireplace, while Phil brings in their luggage and unpacks some food in the kitchen. After Jack has the fire going he wanders the small cabin a bit, taking it in. He eventually finds Phil in the kitchen making a quick pasta dish for them for dinner. Jack can’t help but hover, and alternates between steeling tastes of the sauce and sneaking in kisses to Phil’s neck or jawline when he lets him close enough. Once supper is ready, they set the table together and sit down to eat.

“You didn’t have to go to all the trouble of wooing me with a fancy meal, you know. I came planning to put out,” Jack says casually before digging in. 

Phil, who had just taken a sip of wine ends up coughing and laughing. Once he has calmed down though, he gives Jack a serious look. “You are an amazing man, Jack Harkness. You bring life and spirit to everyone you meet and are so strong and fearless that I can’t help but be drawn to you. I like to pamper my dates, and I think you deserve to have someone take care of you again.”

“You keep saying that. That I deserve to have someone take care of me, but I don’t know if I can accept that,” Jack replies softly.

Phil leans in, placing his elbows on the table. “Is it easier for you to keep your distance from people because you don’t have a normal life?”

“That’s a direct way to put it, but yes. It gets tiring losing people, and it’s easier to just have surface interactions based on mutual pleasure. Having sex is easier than making love.”

After a moment of contemplation, Jack continued. “People often assume that because I’m open and forward about my sexuality that I don’t need the same kind of emotional connection. Maybe even up to a few years ago that would have been true, but I’m at a point in my life where I have grown to crave a deeper connection, because sometimes I just feel so disconnected from humanity.”

Phil placed a comforting hand over Jack’s on the table, and they finish their meal in silence.

When they are finished, Phil takes the dishes back to the kitchen and then joins Jack on the couch in front of the fire. Jack had appeared to be staring pensively into the fire, but when Phil sits down he turns to him with a predatory gleam in his eye.

Phil knew they had been building to this, so he readily leaned in when Jack did, meeting him in a passionate kiss. Phil's hands moved up to cup that strong jawline and draw Jack closer. Jack let out a soft involuntary moan when Phil pushed inside his mouth with his tongue. They kissed like that for a few minutes, Phil sensing Jack's incremental relaxation as he sank into the pleasure of the moment.

Phil let Jack lean him backward until they were lying flat on the couch, never stopping the kiss. Once there though, Jack wanted to explore. Phil released his kiss swollen lips and enjoyed the sensations as Jack kissed down his jaw and neck, gently sucking in a few spots bringing nerve endings to life under his lips.

Jack’s hands soon wandered to the waistband of Phil’s jeans. First he swept them up under the t-shirt and Phil gasped softly when Jack brushed over his nipples. Then they were back on his pants, pulling open the button and slowly unzipping them to reveal black boxer briefs. 

Jack curled his fingers under the waistband of both and Phil helped by lifting his hips. Jack pulled his pants and boxers down far enough to release Phil's hard and straining cock. Before Phil could process the new sensation of being exposed, Jack was surrounding him with warm wet heat.

“Oh god, Jack!” Phil’s voice cracked as he cried out. 

Jack slowly took Phil’s considerable length down almost to the base and then relaxed his throat and sank the last distance, earning a long drawn out moan from above. Phil lay back and enjoyed the intense sensations for a moment. Jack’s throat worked the head of Phil's cock a few times before he was pulling back. He started bobbing slowly and Phil had to force his eyes open to take in the sight.

He looked down and had to clamp down on his control, because he was met with the stunning sight of Jack’s eyes closed and full, wet lips surrounding him. He looked content in a way. Content to let go and give pleasure. Phil took that as the gift it was, and closed his own eyes, laying his head back and enjoying the building pressure of orgasm without an urgency for it to end.

After a few minutes of this bliss, Jack suddenly took him into his throat again and began working him faster. Phil didn't want their evening to end this way and grabbed Jack's hair, pulling him off abruptly.

“I want to fuck you.” Phil said boldly.

“Yes,” Jack practically growled.

They disentangled and climbed to their feet, Phil shedding the rest of his clothes as he walked back to the bedroom. Once there he turned and found Jack had followed him, but was standing unmoving, almost dazed and unsure what move to make next. Phil, feeling completely confident in his ability to give Jack what he needed, stepped up to him and placed his hands on either side of his face. 

Tilting his head up a bit so he could meet Jack's eyes, he spoke softly, “let me take care of you, sweetheart.” 

Jack seemed to give in at that moment and sank into Phil's embrace. Phil took this as a sign to continue, and breaking contact as little as possible began to unbutton Jack’s shirt, kissing the skin of his neck and collar bone as it was exposed. The task was quickly accomplished and he was slipping Jack's shirt over his shoulders and off moments later. Then Phil took a step back to gently undo Jack’s jeans and knelt to help him step out of them and remove his socks. 

Phil was the kind of person that used clothing as armor. A well cut suit served to make him both unassuming and able to fit into almost any situation in his job. Since he lost his hand, he had used clothes to hide that as well. His current prosthetic looked almost entirely human, but undressed no one would be able to miss the ring of metal where it connected to his arm. Being with Jack was in a way freeing, and he had the confidence to stand exposed before this man, because he got the impression Jack always had been attracted to people based on something deeper than appearance.

Phil stood and grabbed Jack's hand, leading him to the bed. Without words he directed Jack to lay down and Phil knelt beside him, drinking in the sight. Jack was confident in his body and met Phil's eyes with his own, lust and happiness in his expression. Jack's body was perfect. Phil suspected it had to do with his regenerative abilities, but he had no visible scars and was fit and toned as someone who lived an active life would be.

Phil leaned in and kissed Jack hard, taking control and not pulling back until they both needed breath. Then he moved down Jack’s body, leaving kisses in his wake, until he positioned them so he was kneeling between the other man’s spread legs. He reached for the lube and slicked the first few fingers of his right hand. He knew his prosthetic left hand had the dexterity for the task, but even though it looked very real, it still felt very foreign and Phil wanted to fully experience this intimate moment. 

Jack was lying still before him, hard and panting lightly. Phil looked up at him before he went any further. “In my line of work one develops a considerable amount of patience and control. I'm going to tease you until you beg me to make you come. You ready?”

Jack visibly shuddered. “Yes, Phil. Fuck yes!”

Phil didn't say anything else before moving in and circling two fingers around Jack's hole slowly. Jack closed his eyes and relaxed into the attention. Only a few passes had Jack begin to tremble with pleasure and anticipation. As soon as he felt the muscles start to relax, Phil pushed two fingers in with one slow thrust. 

Jack moaned long and low above him. Phil spent several more minutes just thrusting those two fingers in and out slowly, his other hand stroking Jack’s hip reassuringly. Without losing his rhythm, he found and pressed right on Jack’s prostate on the next stroke. Jack arched his neck backward and let out a startled exclamation.

“Ah! Come on, Phil!”

“No.”

Jack chuckled. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

Phil just smiled smugly. “I told you to be patient.” And with that Phil started brushing his fingers across Jack’s prostate with every stroke. It didn't take long before Jack was sweating and moaning constantly. Phil added another finger easily and continued the onslaught.

He leaned in and tasted the pre-come that was now dripping steadily down Jack’s flushed cock. Jack bucked at the increased stimulation to his already sensitive body. Even Phil’s patience had limits and the beautiful sight before him of this strong man letting go and trusting him with his pleasure was too much to bear. Phil stopped and pulled his fingers free.

“No, Phil. Please!”

“Shh, I'm right here with you.”

Phil quickly put on the condom and slicked it up before positioning his cock at Jack’s entrance. He waited until Jack calmed enough to register what was going on and opened his eyes to look down his body at the man positioned above him. Phil met his eyes, and began a slow thrust into the tight heat. 

Phil couldn't take his eyes from Jack’s as he steadily sank deeper into his body. Once he was fully seated, he leaned down to kiss the man that had haunted his regrets for so many years, suddenly realizing that he had him here now, in his bed. He didn't want to forget even a moment of the experience, in case it was all they ever had. All that Jack allowed.

When Jack shifted and closed his eyes, letting out a soft groan, the moment was broken, and Phil’s need for release came rushing back to the surface. He set up a steady, hard pace thrusting as deep into Jack as he could. After only a few moments he changed his angle until Jack cried out with pleasure.

“Yes, god Phil! Please!”

Jack Harkness laid out and wanting before him pushed Phil past his control, and he couldn't hold back from pounding into Jack vigorously, hitting his prostate on almost every thrust. Jack was moaning loudly and tossing his head back and forth, totally lost to the moment. All of a sudden Phil felt Jack tense and his insides clamped down on his cock and Jack came hard all over his stomach and chest. Phil was so stunned by the wanton display that he was coming himself just seconds later. 

Phil dropped to his elbows and lowered his forehead to Jack’s shoulder, breathing in his scent. After they both had a moment to enjoy the aftershocks and catch their breath some, Phil gently pulled out and walked to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean up. Jack was still laying limbs sprawled and eyes closed when Phil returned, so he gently swiped the warm cloth over his torso and between his legs before tossing it aside and climbing to lay his body along the length of Jack's.

Jack curled into Phil’s side and lay his head on the lightly furred and muscled chest. Phil smiled and immediately began running his fingers through the sweat dampened strands of brunette hair. After a moment of quiet Phil heard a soft “Thank you.”

“It was definitely my pleasure.”

“I haven't let anyone fuck me in a long time. I just want you to know it means a lot to me—to share that with you.”

Phil just kissed Jack’s temple in response, then moved to pull the blankets over them.

“Do you mind if I take off my hand?”

"Of course not. Why would I mind?”

“I don't know,” Phil felt a little vulnerable. “I just don't want to assume everyone would be comfortable with that. It gets tiring using my brain to operate this mechanical thing that isn't really part of me.”

“You're gorgeous.” Jack leaned up to kiss him. “Besides, I've hooked up with aliens with less limbs than you.”

Phil can't help but laugh at that, and feels content taking off the prosthetic and then settling down to sleep with Jack in his arms. He is surprised when Jack’s hand runs down his left arm to just above the mechanical port and slowly runs his fingers back and forth across the skin there. The broken and phantom nerves tingle lightly with sensation, but Phil finds it strangely relaxing. The gentle touch quickly lulls the already sated man. Before he is pulled under into sleep he wonders how long he’ll get to keep Jack like this. Even if it’s only for tonight, he is glad they met each other again at this point in their lives.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack woke to find the bed empty, which he was quite annoyed about at this early hour. Really, based on the sunlight coming through the light curtains, it wasn’t all that early. After a moment of stretching and taking stock of the satisfying pull of muscles well used, he got up and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before going to find Phil. 

The smell of coffee took him toward the kitchen, but he saw his quarry before he got that far. Jack stepped out onto the sunlit porch to find Phil sitting on the steps sipping coffee and looking out on the lake.

“Now this is a disappointment, you have clothes on.” Jack looked down to meet Phil’s upturned gaze with more affection in his eyes than the lust the words implied. Phil laughed softly at the complaint.

Jack moved around to sit a step below Phil, leaning back between his legs comfortably. He grabbed Phil’s free hand and wrapped it around his waist, and then stole the mug for a drink. He hummed in satisfaction as he settled back into the embrace he had constructed for himself, though Phil didn’t seem to mind at all since he had started gently trailing his fingers along the waistband of Jack’s pants. It wasn’t really sexual, although there was plenty of tension simmering below the surface between them. As they looked out at the peaceful lake together, Jack realized it was intimacy, and closed his eyes as he realized it was the first time he had felt that with someone since Ianto.

It was so easy with Phil. Usually Jack ran scared from deep relationships, but he found that he didn’t want to run from this one. He was content and settled in himself, and it made it easy to bring another person into that. It also helped that Phil was so self-assured and independent. Phil knew what he wanted out of his career and his life, and he wasn’t afraid to go for it when the opportunity presented itself. Jack had a lot of respect for that, and he hoped that was the kind of man he had become also.

After another few minutes spent enjoying the view, Phil suggested they head inside for a quick breakfast and then take a walk around the lake. It was one of those small lakes hidden in the woods, and the perimeter couldn’t be more than a couple miles around. They worked together in the kitchen seamlessly, talking and joking about what they were doing, and in short order they had eggs, bacon and toast on the table.

They ate, and Jack finished getting dressed, today in jeans and a henley Daisy had assured him was so soft no one would be able to keep their hands off of it. Phil was dressed casually as well, and Jack had certainly appreciated the sight of the other man in well-worn blue jeans and bare feet moving around the kitchen. They headed out into the late morning sun and warmth and started out on the worn footpath around the lake.

They walked side by side where the path allowed, but sometimes single file. Jack found himself enjoying the simple activity more than he thought, and drank in the little pleasures of the moment. The dappled sunlight through the trees casting a glow around Phil when he looked back at him. The smell of the earth and plant life underfoot. The sound of Phil’s easy laughter as Jack told one of his many innocuous stories of adventures on other planets and in other times.

During a quiet lull in Jack’s commentary, Phil spoke. “I like that you talk about your past with me. Even the silly stuff. You were never like that when we first met. I always felt like you were holding so much back, even from your own team.”

Jack stopped and turned to face Phil, “Maybe for once, I trust someone enough to really be myself and not keep my distance.”

Phil couldn’t help but tilt his chin up for an intense kiss that didn’t stop until, gasping for breath, he pulled back to grab Jack’s hand and jog the last few yards back to the cabin.

They stumbled inside, closing the door behind them and meeting in a series of messy kisses and caresses. The tension that had been simmering all morning turned into a fire and they were both eager to satisfy their need. Jack wanted to take the lead, and he pushed Phil up against the nearest wall, knowing he would get the message.

Jack pushed his leg between Phil's and they began a slow grind as they continued to kiss and nip at each other's mouths and throats. When Jack sucked the skin just above Phil's collar bone, Phil moaned and grabbed Jack’s ass with both hands, trying to pull them closer together. Jack moved his lips from the skin below them and smiled warmly.

“Come on, gorgeous. Let's go get more naked.”

Phil chuckled and let himself be led to the bedroom where they both stripped efficiently. Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, but before he could do anything further, Phil was in front of him on his knees.

“You are too hot for words,” Jack said roughly as he placed a hand gently on the back of Phil's head.

Phil just smirked up at him and leaned in to lick a stripe up Jack's cock from base to tip. Then immediately took Jack’s entire length into his mouth, opening his throat for him as he went.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck! Oh fuck, Phil!”

If there was one thing Jack never would have guessed about Phil Coulson in bed, it was that he sucked cock like a Hoover. Not that Jack thought he wouldn't have been talented at it. He just figured it would have been carefully calculated and a more gentle seduction of sensation. Right now though, he was convinced Phil was trying to melt his brain and suck it out through his cock with his brutal pace.

Before Jack could even think to warn him or stop himself he was yelling and coming down Phil’s throat in long hot pulses. Phil just swallowed down what he could and then pulled back slightly to gently hold and caress Jack’s spent cock in his mouth as he shuddered in pleasure above him until finally slipping out, soft and sated.

Jack flopped dramatically onto his back on the bed. After catching his breath for a moment he could finally form a coherent sentence.

“You, sir, have an incredible mouth.”

Phil just grinned and climbed fully on top of Jack kissing him soundly and sharing the taste of him left in his mouth. “You have a gorgeous cock. I had to have a taste.”

Jack moaned at the hoarseness in Phil's voice that hadn't been there before. They kissed lazily there for a while and Phil started rubbing his still hard cock against Jack in lazy rolls of his hips. Before long Jack started to respond and grow hard again, returning the gentle thrusting motion and providing satisfying friction for them both. Jack reached behind them to the nightstand for some lube and paused to drip some into his palm before positioning them so he could wrap his long fingers around them both. 

They resumed the gentle thrusting and rolling as Jack began stroking them in rhythm. It wasn't long before Phil was moaning softly at the attention, and Jack felt himself get close as well as he sped his hand, adding a slight twist at the end that had Phil gasping. In just a few more strokes Phil was coming, trembling and babbling sweet nonsense about how hot and perfect Jack was. The feeling of that hot come on his own cock and the sounds and words coming out of Phil’s mouth had him following not long behind.

Jack wiped his hand on the corner of the sheet, and maneuvered them so they were under the covers and he was spooned up behind Phil. He kissed the nape of Phil’s neck a couple times before they both dozed off into a light sleep.

A ringing woke them from their impromptu nap. Phil figured out where it was coming from, and went to retrieve his phone from his pants pocket.

“Coulson”

“Sir, its Mack. You know I wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency, but we have a pretty serious situation brewing with what we think is an inhuman.”

“Ok, let me put you on speaker.”

Phil sat back down on the bed, and placed the phone between him and Jack.

“Hey, man! You’re not supposed to call us on our honeymoon!”

Phil rolled his eyes, but gave Jack an affectionate smile.

“Sorry guys. There are reports of an inhuman using fireballs to melt locks and commit small time robberies in the Chicago area. From what Daisy found online, not only is he attracting the attention of some organized gangs, but there is chatter from a couple of groups similar to the Watchdogs. We are worried Hydra will find out about him and get to him before we do. I think we should move on this, that’s why I called.”

“I agree. Ok, we’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Phil hung up and started getting dressed.

“Why do rowdy inhumans have to go cock-blocking me?” Jack affected a convincing pout as he got up to get dressed as well.

Phil laughed. “Sorry. It’s the perks of the job.”

“You say perks, I say occupational hazard.”

They quickly packed up and loaded everything back into Lola for the return trip. As Phil turned from closing the trunk, Jack stepped into his space and kissed him tenderly.

“Thank you for this. It really was…I think it was something I needed, and I’m so glad I could have it with you.”

Phil blushed and ducked his head a bit in response, and Jack pulled him into a crushing hug before smacking a loud kiss on his cheek and slapping his ass. “Let’s go, hot stuff! We’ve got a job to get back to!”

Phil just laughed as they climbed in and took off into the air for the Playground.

~~~~~

They arrived back at the base within a couple hours from when Mack had called, and immediately gathered for a briefing.

“So we're chasing down some punk kid who thinks he’s a thug stealing TVs and Air Jordan's?” Joey says incredulously.

“Well, no so much a kid, but definitely a punk.” Daisy pulled up a picture of his driver’s license on the large screen. “Joshua Boyd, 34, lives in Chicago. He has a couple prior misdemeanor shoplifting charges, but has had a job at local furniture manufacturing company for the past eight years. There have been a number of thefts with the same method of entry. They have been stores with fairly simple rear entry doors, and the locks have been melted in a concentrated but not very precise way. Then, he hit an electronics store two nights ago that had a camera he didn't spot.”

Daisy cues up the footage and they see a hooded figure enter the shot, but as he pauses to look around the immediate vicinity before breaking in, the camera gets a clear shot of his face. Then they see him hold out his hand, and a moment later, a yellow fireball, about the size of a baseball shoots toward the lock on the door. It burns there for a few seconds before going out, reminiscent of napalm. Then the figure steps forward and uses a small crowbar to pull the door open. 

“Ok, so we bring him in and what, put him in S.H.I.E.L.D. jail? Recondition him to be a productive member of society? How does this work with someone that clearly is using their power to commit crimes?” Jack asks.

“Yes, we have a secure location we can hold him. Considering his apparent power, local authorities wouldn’t be able to contain him. We can hold him and evaluate him for danger to society and either release him or recruit him,” Phil explained, already back in the mode of Director. Jack was a little sorry to see the relaxed man of a few hours ago disappear behind the mantle of authority, but he understood it was necessary. He had his own masks and roles to play after all.

“Ok, this guy has the potential to be dangerous, so I want to take a full team on this. May, Hunter, Bobbi, Daisy, and Mack will go. Gutierrez and Jack, I’d like the help if you went as well, but defer to the more experienced agents. Fitz, could you work up some firefighting foam in some sort of dispenser we can take? Let’s load up the Zephyr as soon as we can gear up, and head for Chicago.”

With assignments handed out by Phil, the group dispersed to gather everything needed.

Jack lingered in the room until just he a Phil remained. He slid up beside him and leaned close to speak softly in his ear, “So has anyone christened the Zephyr One yet? Because I’d love to suck you off in some storage closet.”

Phil just smiled serenely at Jack. “Oh, there will be nothing illicit going on in a storage closet. We have bunks on board for that. In fact, I had already planned on coming up with some excuse to disappear and fuck you through one on the ride home.”

Phil turned and walked out of the room, leaving Jack to slump his weight against the table and laugh breathlessly to himself at the way Phil could get him so hot while staying so outwardly calm and professional.

 

The flight wasn’t a long one, and within an hour, they were touching down in Chicago. The plan was to try to intercept Boyd at home before he went in to work second shift. They arrived in the McKinley Park area mid afternoon and staked out positions on his street to wait. They knew he would leave his building to walk to the train.

As Joshua Boyd stepped out of his building and turned to head down the street, Bobbi stepped out from a doorway to slow him down.

“Oh my god, Josh? Remember me? Andrea, from tenth grade English class? I haven’t seen you in forever!”

The blond hair and curves certainly worked to slow Boyd down a bit, but he seemed skeptical. The rest of the team was converging from various points along the street, and Boyd sensed it immediately.

“What’s going on? Who are you?”

“Come on, don’t you remember me? I can’t believe I ran into you again after all these years!”

By this time Jack and Hunter were approaching from behind, and just as they were close enough to make a move, two black SUV’s came screeching around the corner and to a stop in the road in front of them. Before anyone could do more than pull their weapons, a spooked Boyd turned and fired several fireballs around him. A couple hit the SUV’s but didn’t do any significant damage. Unfortunately for Jack, who had been standing several feet behind Boyd, he was hit on the arm.

“Hunter!” He yelped as the fire quickly burned through his clothes to his skin. Hunter pulled out a small canister and shot a blast of foam fire retardant on the flames still burning on Jack’s upper arm. The flames were extinguished in seconds, but it was enough time to cause a severe third degree burn.

They couldn't stop to assess the injury though because at that moment armed men poured out of the SUVs and made to grab Boyd. They were wearing gas masks, and the reason became apparent when they tossed a canister of tear gas onto the sidewalk, setting everyone in the vicinity coughing and sputtering. Boyd was surrounded in the fog, and no one wanted to risk a shot in case they got one of their own. For a moment the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents could do nothing but stand back with weapons raised waiting for the gas to clear.

The masked men soon had Boyd blindfolded with his hands in special mitts and were attempting to shove in him into the second vehicle. From Jack’s vantage point he could see there was a clear shot and he stood from where he had been crouching behind a stoop and ran forward to fire a couple of shots at the SUV. As he did so though, he exposed his injured arm. 

“He’s healing. Look at his arm!”

“He’s one of them! Grab him too!”

“We don’t know for sure, and the boss didn’t authorize this!”

“Just take him! If he’s not one of them, we can just get rid of him!”

In the chaos of the moment Jack could do nothing but surrender to the men that quickly pointed guns at him. He could have survived any number of gunshots, but Hunter had stepped out of his cover to help him and a couple of the gunmen had their sights trained on him too. Jack allowed himself to be cuffed and shoved into the back seat of the vehicle next to Boyd.

The men loaded back into the SUVs and peeled out down the road. Mack and Bobbi fired shots, but the vehicles didn’t stop. Daisy put her arms up and thrust outward toward the first vehicle, causing it to roll and block the road. The second driver was too quick though, and darted down an alley out of the path of the damaged vehicle and out of reach of the agents pursuing on foot. 

Having lost one SUV, they approached the other cautiously. It had landed on its roof in the middle of the road. Only the driver remained alive and conscious, and Mack quickly iced him before he could reach for a weapon.

“Leave them for the locals. Let’s get to the Zephyr and see if we can figure out who they were and where they took them,” Mack said solemnly. “And someone radio back to Phil on the plane and tell him what happened, because I sure as hell don’t want to tell him we lost Jack.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Damn it! How do we not know where Malick is hiding yet?!” Phil slammed his hands on his desk and hung his head. Daisy and Mack stood opposite him, looking at each other with regret.

“I’m sorry, sir. Hydra is good at concealing themselves. We just haven’t gotten a lead on where they took Jack yet,” Mack spoke seriously into the tense silence following Coulson’s outburst.

Daisy tried to be reassuring. “I’ve been tracking some accounts linked to Malick, and I think if I keep working at it we could find some answers. Some properties he has access to, or maybe some other people we could talk to. Besides, we know he’ll survive, we just have to get to him eventually.”

“Really, Johnson? Knowing what Hydra did you your mother, you’re going to stand there and tell me ‘eventually’ is acceptable because after all, he’ll survive? It's been four days already. A lot can happen in four days.” Phil’s tone was unnervingly calm and Daisy flushed with shame.

“I-I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Please, just go keep working.”

Mack and Daisy left the office quickly and quietly, not wanting to incite any more of the man’s ire, but understanding he was reacting that way because he was concerned for someone he cared for deeply.

The whole base was quiet. Everyone kept to their work and kept their heads down. Daisy was combing through financial records with Bobbi, and Mack didn’t have anything helpful to do at the moment, so he found himself working elbow deep in an SUV giving it an unnecessary oil change. He heard footsteps approaching, but recognized the cadence and wasn’t startled by the voice that matched.

“You sir, look like you could use a distraction. Almost done? I made us some food and we can eat it back in my quarters.” Joey’s soothing voice washed over him, and Mack felt calmer already.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Let me just clean up here.”

Joey helped with clean up, and soon they were in Joey’s room. Mack immediately collapsed on the couch, head tipped back to the ceiling, while Joey dished up something that smelled delicious.

Joey sat down next to him and handed over a plate of chilaquiles, and placed a couple of beers on the coffee table.

“Oh my god, baby. I love your cooking,” Mack said as he inhaled the fragrant steam.

“Yeah, I figured some home-cooked comfort food was in order.”

Mack leaned over and brushed a light kiss to Joey’s cheek and then dug in. He was hungrier than he realized and finished quickly, content to sit back and sip his beer and enjoy a moment of relaxation.

"You glad you can go home again?"

Joey swallowed his mouthful. “Yeah. Yeah, man. Family is important. Had a heck of a time explaining things though. I ended up going with that I was recruited for a classified government building project. Since that went well, I have been hired to contract full time on various projects around the US, so lengthy absences are part of the gig.”

"I'm sorry you couldn't tell them the truth. I know that's hard.”

“It's ok. It's a sacrifice worth making for the job, and I don't know that I really had any other choice.”

They both drank in silence for a moment.

Mack cleared his throat, “I hope I can meet your family one day.”

“Really? I'd love that.” Joey set his bottle down and turned to face Mack. “So this is pretty serious for you then?”

“Yeah, Joey. I'm in this for the long haul.”

Joey grinned and moved to take the beer from Mack’s hand and set it aside. “Then next time I go for Sunday dinner, you're coming with me.” Then he leaned in and kissed the malty flavor out of his mouth. They exchanged increasingly heated kisses for a few minutes, and only stopped to catch their breath.

Mack leaned back and looked at Joey seriously. “You know, keeping secrets is about keeping you safe too. I keep thinking about someone taking you like that. Someone that wants to hurt you or experiment on inhumans. It makes it harder to watch you go out on missions. I know you're strong though, and I'd rather have you by my side living this life together.”

"Hey, I'll do my best to take care of myself. And don't think I don't worry about you either, amorcito.”

Joey stood and pulled Mack up from the couch and began kissing him again as he backed him toward the bed. Their kisses grew intense and messy very quickly. Mack needed to feel Joey close after thinking about all the ways he could lose him. They fell to the bed in a tangle of limbs and started removing each other's clothing between rough kisses.

Once they were both naked they took a moment to settle on the bed. Mack leaned up on his elbow and ran his hand down Joey’s lightly haired chest, drinking in the stutters in his breath at the sensation. Joey was a strong man and his body showed it, even if he wasn't as leanly muscled as Mack. Mack loved how sensitive and responsive he was to his touch and he leaned in for another kiss as his hand continued to explore.

It didn't take long though for that kiss to reach a crescendo, and the pace increased once again. Mack wrapped his hand around Joey’s cock and gave it a few pulls just on the side of too rough. It got him the reaction he wanted when Joey cried out.

“Fuck! Te deseo! Roll over. I have to be inside you.”

Mack easily complied, and lay on his stomach with his legs spread. He loved being with a guy that had the confidence to fuck him. He knew he didn't fit the stereotype, but he was unashamedly a cock slut. He had no problems getting pounded into the mattress, but he usually didn't attract the kind of guys looking for that. He and Joey had been compatible right away in the bedroom. Joey didn't top exclusively, but he knew just how to give Mack exactly what he wanted when he did.

Warm, wet fingers circled his hole and Mack let out a rumbling moan deep in his chest. Thankfully Joey wasn't in a mood to tease and thrust two fingers in right away. He immediately aimed for Mack’s prostate and had him panting and rocking back on his fingers in no time.

Mack felt Joey withdraw and then three fingers were stretching him pleasantly. Joey was talented with his hands and Mack wasn't sure how much longer he could hang on if they kept this up.

“Joe! Please, baby! Please fuck me!”

“Yes! Yeah, come on! On your knees.”

Mack gracefully pushed himself up onto his knees and and elbows and hung his head, breathing hard in anticipation of being filled. He didn't have to wait long before he felt the lightly slick head of Joey’s cock begin to press him open. He pushed in slowly and when he was fully sheathed inside the warm body, there was a moment where only their ragged breaths filled the room.

Then Joey pulled back and thrust forward hard. “Oh, fuck! How did I get so lucky to fuck an ass this gorgeous. Look at you take it!” He began thrusting in a steady rhythm, but the urgency from before spurred him to increase his speed rapidly. Mack was grunting low and soft as he pushed back against each thrust. Joey didn't wait any longer to get a hand on Mack’s hard cock and jerk it in time with their movement.

They stuttered through a few more thrusts before Mack was crying Joey's name and coming in hot thick pulses. His ass convulsed on Joey’s cock rhythmically and it wasn't long before the man above him was pressing in tight as he filled Mack with his come.

They collapsed on the bed together and lay panting for a moment before Joey kissed the nape of Mack’ neck and then carefully pulled out to go get something to clean up with. He opted for grabbing his discarded t-shirt off the ground and running it quickly over them. Then they curled up together on the dry side of the bed, holding each other contentedly.

Joey looked up at Mack and smiled almost shyly as he spoke. “Estoy enamorado de ti.”

Mack just smiled softly and replied, “I'm in love with you too, Joey.”

Another beat went by before Joey spoke again. “You know, there is an unexpected perk to this job.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Hot life-affirming sex with your gorgeous coworker.”

Mack’s chuckle rumbled under Joey's ear where it was pressed against his chest. They drifted off to sleep, comfortable in their love for each other.

~~~~~

As soon as the SUV had pulled a few blocks away, a bag had been shoved roughly over Jack’s head and he was blind to where they took him. They drove to some airfield, and then he boarded a plane. The flight was probably little more than an hour. That still left a pretty wide search area though, he acknowledged to himself. Another car ride and then he was walked into a building and shoved into a room, the bag pulled off at the last moment to reveal a sparse concrete room as the only door slammed shut behind him.

Jack took stock of the room. A table and two chairs. Some fluorescent lights recessed into the ceiling. That was it. He was pretty sure this was the evil villain equivalent of an interrogation room. If that was the case, there was probably a camera hidden somewhere. He paced the room a few times before settling down in one of the chairs to wait. He wasn’t waiting long before the door opened to reveal a grey haired man in his 60s and a middle aged olive skinned man. Looked like it was going to be the brains and brawn routine then.

“Jack Harkness. You’re quite the interesting man.” Gideon Malick paced the table opposite Jack while he spoke. The other man stood menacingly in the corner. “We found some information on you. Seems you had some dealings with the CIA recently, and now it looks like you’re tangled up with our friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. There was nothing about this interesting healing ability you seem to have though.”

Malick paused and pulled out the other chair, sitting down and leaning in toward Jack. “So tell me, Jack, how you came to aquire this ability. We are very interested to learn more about it, and you.”

“Really, Malick, I would have thought you’d have been more creative than this good cop, bad cop routine. Or is it supposed to be bad cop, worse cop?” Jack smiled. “I know who you are too Mr. Gideon Malick.”

“Well, since I know who you are and you know me, let’s get on with the fun. I’m guessing you’re not going to reveal all your secrets to me anyway, so I think a little demonstration is in order. Giyera, if you will.”

The man in the corner stepped forward. Jack was shocked to feel himself held in place by apparent telekinesis. This Giyera person was an inhuman, then. He couldn’t move as the man brought a razor blade out of his pocket, and hissed slightly as there was a swift cut to his cheek. It wasn’t particularly deep and so began to heal quickly.

“Ah, so there it is. You really do have the power to heal yourself.” Malick smiled with a little too much glee. “In that case, I think we’ll have to introduce you to a friend of mine. I think after meeting him you’ll be much more agreeable.”

Jack didn’t bother to reply as Malick stood and both men exited the room again. He licked his finger and cleaned the smudge of blood from his face. He hoped Phil would storming in here soon, because he didn’t like the sound of this “friend” he was supposed to meet.

After only a short wait the door opened again and a couple of typical hired thugs appeared to escort him down the hall. They prodded him into a room that was fairly large with an array of televisions playing at one end. Malick was already there, and was talking to a brunette man seated on a couch.

“Ah, here we are.” Malick walked over to Jack and gestured to the seated man. “Jack, I’d like you to meet my friend here. We call him Mr. Ward.”

The eyes of an evil creature stared out at Jack from the face that turned to greet him, and he really hoped Phil would be able to find him before he got more acquainted with whatever this thing was.


	8. Chapter 8

“Well, Malick, I can tell you’ve brought me something truly interesting for once.” Ward, or the creature inside this man, spoke in a tone that was seemingly casual and menacing at the same time. Jack had met few beings in his long life that truly scared him like this, and he could tell that seated before him was one of the few evil entities in this world.

“Yes, he has healing powers. I figured you may want to align him to your cause and use him to advance our purpose.” Malick’s eyes hardened a bit at his next statement. “We haven’t experimented with the extent of his capabilities much yet, but perhaps he can be used to help you regain your bodily strength further.”

Jack was held firmly in place by Goon 1 and Goon 2, as he had nicknamed them in his head. Ward stood and approached, then held out his hand. Jack felt an odd pulling sensation as a fine dust-like swirl, the same unearthly pallor as Ward’s skin, crept toward him through the air. He held his breath and waited for something horrible to happen.

Nothing did. The dust dissipated and Ward’s body frowned at him. “What did you bring me Malick? Because he is no inhuman. I can’t use him like the others. Something is preventing me from gaining access.”

“What do you mean? He was with another inhuman when we brought him in. He works with S.H.I.E.L.D. he must be one of them.”

“He is not inhuman!” Ward roared. Jack almost thought he caught Malick flinch, but the cold mask was firmly in place again before he could blink.

“Now, I’m sure you can use him somehow. I’ve got a couple of scientists on board with our goals that would love to find out more about our friend here. Let’s let them have him and gather some data and I’ll bring anything we find back to you. S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t be able to find him here, so we can secure him as long as we need.”

A hard pit settled in Jack’s stomach as he heard Malick speak. He had been in this situation before. Held against his will, poked and prodded and tortured until he was rescued or escaped. Death wasn’t even an escape for him. This was why he was always running lately. This was why he was so tired of living. This was why he was so done with seeing the worst humanity had to offer. He could do good for the world and help a few, and then some horrible people would come along wanting things from him he could not give.

It always hurt so much. Not just the physical pain, because he was sure they would dream up new horrific ways to push the limits of what even he had experienced. The emotional pain was always worse. It was usually only what he struggled with in his own head, but it was very real nonetheless. He fought with his own sanity at times like these, and the effort to hold onto what was left of himself was overwhelming in its intensity.

Jack did have some coping mechanisms built over the years. He tended to retreat to a different place in his head when he could. Not really daydreams and not really fantasies. He wasn’t free of pain there, but he could put himself somewhere he wouldn’t dwell on his desire to have a normal life span, and normal death. He knew he would endure, like he always did, because he had no choice. He could only hold onto the hope that Phil found him really soon.

Jack was shoved by his favorite goons out of the room and down a corridor. They took an elevator and after a ride of what couldn’t have been more than a floor or two, ended up in a lab. They were greeted by a short greasy-haired middle aged guy in a lab coat. He wore glasses and had slightly slumped shoulders, as if he had spent most of his adult life stooped over a lab table. Jack couldn’t quite suppress the giggle that escaped at the clichéd evil scientist look the guy had going. Seriously, all of Hydra would be one big joke, if it weren’t actually terrifying.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Harkness. I’m so glad to get the opportunity to work on you.” And wasn’t that a chilling turn of phrase. “Now, I’m just going to start with a light sedative. It will allow me to get you restrained properly and give me a baseline for how fast your metabolism might process drugs. Let’s get started, shall we?”

And then the little man was before him with a needle, and before he could do more that struggle a bit, the goons had him held tight and a needle was sinking into his neck. Jack’s last thought was of that peaceful moment spent sipping coffee with Phil on the front steps of the cabin, and how he hoped that wouldn’t be his last memory like that, then the world went black.

~~~~~

Phil sat hunched over his desk, head in his hands. He knew he was probably not in the best frame of mind right now, but he was holding things together well enough that he didn’t feel he was compromising S.H.I.E.L.D operations. He had good people, and they knew how to watch his back, and each other’s. 

“You love him, and have loved the idea of him for a long time.” May’s familiar voice startled Phil out of his headspace. He looked up to see she had entered his office without his noticing. She crossed to take a seat in a chair in front of his desk.

Phil sighed. Maybe he was more compromised than he realized. But he also saw May’s statement for what it was. An opening to unload some of the thoughts consuming him.

“I met just the man first. I didn’t know all his secrets then. I saw a fellow agent working against the weird and dangerous things that seem to fall into Earth’s lap. He was so strong and vibrant, I couldn’t help but be drawn to him. I was with Clint at the time though, so I kept Jack at arm’s length as far as my heart went. Then, after Clint and I fell apart, I started searching for Jack. I know it sounds all amicable and shit when we’ve talked about it, but I was devastated that I couldn’t be what Clint needed. It was probably unhealthy of me to latch onto the idea of Jack afterward, but I did. I dug until I found all I could on him, and then I kept track of him through the years. Learning he was essentially immortal by reading it in a file? That was weird, and I’m not sure I really believed it until I saw it. But everything else I read just made me regret not hanging onto him when I had him. 

The timing wasn’t right, I know, but I still wished things had gone differently the night he kissed me. He would have still been in Wales for a while after Barton and I were done, but I never went back and looked him up. I guess I felt like I didn’t deserve to intrude on whatever personal life he’d inevitably moved on to. Now that I know he had Ianto, I definitely know that going back would never have worked. He had the kind of relationship that I always envied, and I’m glad I didn’t interfere. After Ianto died, it was harder to keep track of Jack, but I kept looking out for him to end up in someone’s database from time to time.”

Phil paused as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to voice his next thoughts aloud. “I don’t want to lose him after just finding him again. After getting a glimpse of what we could have together if he stayed. After realizing I love him. I don’t want to lose another person I love.”

“So we find him, and you tell him how you feel, and you hope he wants the same things you do. That’s all you can do right now.”

Phil scrubbed his hands over his face, and smiled ruefully, “Fuck, Melinda. I’m so sorry about Andrew, but you were always the better therapist.”

May chuckled darkly. “He always did talk too much.”

“It’s been a week. A week, May, and we are no closer to finding out where Malick is hiding him. I can’t even begin to imagine what they could do to him given seven days.” Phil’s voice cracked when he mentioned the number. The reality of the situation driven home by the reminder of each of the minutes and hours Jack spent in enemy hands.

“Sir, I think I can do more good in getting us leads going out on my own. I can get information and hunt them down the old school way. We need to make some progress, and I know I can get results.”

“I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want to do, Melinda. I know how hard it was for you to come back to field work, and what you are talking about is more than our usual level of fucked up-ness.”

May smiled kindly at him. “I didn’t get into this without my eyes open. It’s for your Jack. It will be worth it.”

“He’s not mine. I really wish he was, but I don’t think anyone, let alone me, should ask that of him.” Phil was sincere, but he knew he wasn’t keeping the longing from his expression.

“I think you’d be surprised. You’re a good man, Phil, and it’s clear he has always seen that in you.”

With that May stood and left. Her economy of words no less devastating for their scarcity.

~~~~~

Jack woke in a fog. The familiar feeling letting him know they’d drugged him again. He took comfort in the fact that they didn’t yet know the true extent of his abilities. They would periodically give him “breaks” to fully heal, because they feared pushing their specimen too far and killing him. Wouldn’t want to waste a good freak show, now would they? 

He took stock of his body and surroundings. No open wounds at the moment. He was still strapped to an autopsy table, naked. Convenient for blood collection and clean-up. It was cold though. All his snarky requests for a quilt, warm bath, heat lamp, hot water bottle, and any other number of warm things he could think of, had been met with silence. They didn’t seem to like their lab specimen to talk unless he was saying something useful, and his banter only tended to push them into being particularly cruel. He couldn’t help himself though. It gave him satisfaction knowing he was getting under their skin, as they literally got under his.

He wondered at what fresh horrors awaited him today. He tried to keep track of time in the beginning, but the drugging and the lack of any outside indications had him making a wild guess that it had been anywhere from a few days to a week. He didn’t have time to wonder long, because he heard footsteps approaching, and Greasy Evil Scientist approached with a mousey lab assistant in tow. 

“Well, glad to see you are awake and back to your previous state, Mr. Harkness.” 

“You know me. I’m a morning person. I wake up ready to go. Any chance you’ll let me up for a brisk morning run? No? Cup of coffee then? I’ll bring back doughnuts, I promise. I bet you’d like one with chocolate icing, you seem like a chocolate kind of guy.”

“Unless you can tell me how you acquired your ability, Mr. Harkness, this attempt at levity is really useless.”

“Oh, ok. Back to evil-doing as usual, I guess. Carry on then. How many fingers would you like to sever and regrow today? I’m feeling generous, so I’ll start the offer at three.”

“Really, I should just cut out your tongue again.” Jack had hated that one. His mouth filled with blood and he felt like he was choking it down for hours. The thought kept Jack quiet, and he conceded that maybe he was giving up a little to not feel like fighting back after that comment.

Greasy guy turned to his assistant and started speaking as if Jack weren’t there. He mentioned wanting to work on the skin again today, which was the last thing Jack wanted to hear. A few moments later he felt the first cut on his torso. He held up for a while, not giving them the satisfaction of crying out in pain. Just as the pain was growing too intense to bear in silence, the scene around him changed, and he was lying in a bed in a small brightly lit room in a seaside cottage. He could see the surf pounding the shore out the window. Perhaps a storm had recently passed. Then again, in Britain a storm was always recently passing. 

He was startled from gazing out the window when a warm hand smoothed across his chest, and a body curled into his side. “Good morning, cariad.”

Jack turned and met the affectionate gaze of his long dead lover. He knew it couldn’t be real, but he soaked in every moment. Dream or hallucination or whatever this was, he needed it now. 

“Morning, beautiful. Where are we?”

Ianto looked at him a little confused. “We rented a cottage in Tenby. We’ve been here since yesterday.”

“Oh, right. Right. Sorry, just waking up a bit, I guess.” Jack remembered them talking about making this trip, but they had never actually done it.

“Hmm, well in that case, I may have to think of something to wake you up a bit.”

Ianto’s hand swept south, and Jack reveled in the warm feeling of their bodies touching and Ianto’s searching hand. He didn't spend time teasing, wrapping his hand around Jack's cock as it was quickly filling to hardness. A gentle stroke upward had Jack arching his back.

“Fuck, Ian. I've missed this so much.”

The other man just chuckled as he pressed a kiss to Jack’s temple before moving down in the bed. He kept his hand on Jack, and Jack moaned as Ianto began to mouth his balls. Rolling them over his tongue a few times before pulling his hand away and licking up the shaft.

The ecstasy that came next in the form of Ianto’s hot mouth sucking down Jack's cock to the base, had Jack letting out a shout.

“Ianto! Oh, god. Yes!”

Ianto swallowed a few times, causing Jack a full body shudder, and then he began sucking and bobbing at a quick pace that had Jack tumbling toward the edge very quickly. Jack could only hold out for a couple of minutes before he was shooting down Ianto’s throat and moaning in pleasure.

Ianto immediately moved up to kiss Jack and let him taste himself on the swollen lips and tongue. Jack enjoyed the mingling of flavors and the intensity of the kiss. He missed this so much. The easy affection and intensity of their bond. He didn't want to leave this behind. He wanted to follow Ianto into a place where he didn't have to suffer the pain of so many losses and the torture of so many enemies.

They lay panting for air after the heated kiss, and Jack made to move and return the favor, but Ianto stopped him.

"Jack, you need someone in your life again. You can't live chasing my ghost forever.”

“Ian, no. I love you. Don't say that. Don't leave me! Don't leave me here without you!”

Jack’s grasp on reality was growing muddled after enduring days of mistreatment and pain. He knew Ianto couldn’t really be speaking to him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow Ianto was trying to get through to him.

“Jack, you need to keep living life, and Phil can help you do that. He's a good man, and he loves you.”

“It’s so hard to keep going. I want to let go. I want to be free of this life and be with you. I don't want anyone to be your replacement.”

“Even if you could have followed me into death, you know this is not how the afterlife would have ended up. This is a fantasy, Jack, and you can't keep living in a fantasy world dreaming of me.”

The intensity in Ianto's eyes wouldn't let Jack look away. “Be with Phil, Jack. Love again. Live again. Please do this for me.”

“Damn it, Ianto. You know I'll never forget you, right? Not for a thousand years. Not for anything.” A few tears tracked down Jack's face.

"I know, cariad. Now, hang on. Phil is coming.”


	9. Chapter 9

Jack guessed it was sometime during the night when the telekinetic came for him. Giyera, he thought his name was. His skin was still pink and barely healed from the day’s activities. The pain of his skin being peeled and stripped off in sections had pulled him from his head long before he would have liked, but he had mercifully passed out shortly thereafter. He’s not sure what happened while he was out, but he woke briefly hours later during the healing process to find himself alone. He eventually drifted into a restless sleep, only to have it interrupted by Giyera’s appearance.

Jack got the impression that his presence there wasn’t sectioned. He came in quietly and walked quickly to the table, releasing his bonds.

“Come with me.”

Jack didn’t know what to say to that, and didn’t have the energy left to fight or even question at this point, so he struggled to get up and on his feet. He managed to make it to a sitting position on the table, and thankfully Giyera offered him a pair of scrub pants to cover his nakedness. Jack stiffly pulled them on and then stood, if a bit wobbly, on his feet.

He wondered what was really going on. Giyera seemed shifty. Not really nervous, but not really comfortable either. It was almost as if he knew what was going to happen and didn’t like it, but had no choice. Maybe he was forced into this situation too. He was an inhuman, and maybe he had regrets about his alliances knowing how inhumans were treated here. Not that Jack, was an inhuman, but he had to imagine he wasn’t the only lab specimen they had collected.

Giyera motioned Jack to precede him out of the lab. Jack knew even with his full strength he would be at a disadvantage against this man, so he didn’t even attempt to be uncooperative. He figured at the very least he could learn a bit more about this place, and hopefully whatever Giyera was leading him toward wouldn’t be worse than what he had already endured.

Their progress was slow. Jack stumbled with fatigue every few steps and Giyera didn’t seem eager to help him. They made their way up on the elevator, Jack able to confirm they traveled two floors this time. Then they were making their way down a nondescript cement corridor again.

They arrived at a door that Giyera opened and gestured Jack through. He quickly realized where he was, and clamped down on his fear that this might just be a worst case scenario. He looked across the room at the wall of TVs and saw the figure of Grant Ward, or whoever was inhabiting his body, rise and come to meet them.

“Hello, Mr. Harkness. I’d say thanks for coming, but I didn’t really give you a choice in the matter. I’m glad to see you are at least on your feet after the past few days of – what should we call it? – testing? Giyera here has been invaluable in keeping me apprised of your condition. I regret that I couldn’t bring you under my direction. I still haven’t figured out why that is, but I have decided you can be of use to me otherwise.”

Jack couldn’t imagine what use he could have if he couldn’t be Ward’s puppet. It had to be worse, and he couldn’t help but worry that his thus far undetected immortality was going to be brought to light one way or another.

“You see, I’ve been rebuilding this body. Grant Ward was killed by the Director of your S.H.I.E.L.D. He seemed quite pleased to exact his vengeance on the man, in fact. So I have been slowly bringing this body back to life. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of energy and fuel, and usually ordinary humans serve well as fuel. In your case though, I can’t help but think your healing ability will serve me greatly if I am able to feed from you.”

Now Jack knew it would be worse. He didn’t know if he would survive whatever the “feeding” would involve, and he couldn’t imagine it would be a very pleasant experience. He also had a pang of regret for any strength he might give this creature. Something this evil and powerful didn’t need an extra advantage against them. All he could do was watch as Ward approached and stood just a few feet before him.

“Well, let’s not waste any time, then. I don’t exactly want dear Gideon finding out I intend to use up his scientists’ favorite toy. Giyera, you may want to step out for a moment.”

The other man did just that, closing the door with and echo of finality behind him. Ward held out both hands in front of Jack, and like before, a dust-like swirling cloud began to move toward him. At first Jack felt nothing, but then there was a pull. Like someone was tugging at the chore of him, trying to draw it out. He started to feel hot and ached all over. It slowly grew in intensity until the pain was almost overwhelming. Then he began glowing faintly with a yellow shimmering light. The pull didn’t stop though. It kept growing, and just as he felt it might tear him apart, he felt himself fading fast. His heart seized and stopped and he collapsed at Ward’s feet.

“Well, now. That is inconvenient,” Ward said, annoyed. “Giyera! Get in here!”

The inhuman entered to see Jack on the floor, Ward standing over his body.

“He died. What a useless waste. I can’t get anything from him! Get him out of here.” Ward huffed in frustration and turned his back, fists clenched at his sides.

~~~~~

Jack gasped back to life to find himself once again lying to the autopsy table in the lab. He wasn’t strapped down, but he was weak after a week of torture and then having seemingly had the life sucked out of him. After his mind cleared he realized he was hearing yelling. He turned to see the greasy scientist, red-faced and sweaty, yelling something about wasted data now that the subject was dead to Malick, while Giyera stood to the side. Giyera was the one who realized he was awake first. He used his power to secure the straps around Jack and the table immediately, and cleared his throat to draw the attention of the other two.

“Oh, hey. Don’t let me interrupt your little family discussion over there. Please, just ignore me. I’d leave and give you some privacy, but I seem to be having a bit of a problem with these buckles at the moment.”

The greasy scientist came running over. “You were dead! How are you alive now?!” Then he quickly began muttering to himself while he checked Jack’s vitals, confirming what they all had seen.

Malick kept his calm, but the gears were clearly turning, and Jack knew it wouldn't be long before he connected the dots. He was right, and he was only allowed a moment of reprieve before the conclusion was reached.

“You held out on us, Mr. Harkenss. Not only can you heal wounds, but you can come back to life. That is some information I would have liked to have known. I’m disappointed you held something so valuable back from us.”

“Now, Malick, you can’t think I would give away everything on the first date. I’m just not that kind of guy.” Jack leered with false bravado as he spoke, but he held onto the mask as his only defense in the face of the gravity of his situation.

“We know now, and believe me, I am already full of ideas of how you can help Hydra. I’m thinking immortal super soldiers for starters, and perhaps we can extend the lives of those important to our organization, maybe indefinitely.”

Jack was silent as the ramifications of Hydra getting the opportunity to find out how powerful his blood was sank in. He knew what it could do, and now Rex Matheson was proof of that. How long would it take Hydra to figure out they could create more immortals with a simple blood transfusion? And once they did, they could keep Jack forever, just using him as a fountain of life to create as many immortals for their cause as possible.

“I want him transferred to a more secure facility as soon as possible. Let’s arrange for it to happen tomorrow night. In the meantime, start getting me information on him. This is the best asset we’ve acquired in decades, and I intend to make full use of it.” Malick directed his instruction to the greasy evil scientist and then walked out. Giyera following behind.

Greasy scientist started babbling excitedly. “I’d like to start with figuring out how long it takes you to revive after death. We could try different methods and compare. If you are shot in the head, does that make a difference? This is so fascinating! I’ve never seen anything like it in any of my other inhuman subjects. Though you aren’t really inhuman. I still have to figure that out as well. I don’t want to waste any time. I think stopping your heart with electric shock would be a good place to start.” The guy babbled and bounced in excitement like a kid in a candy store.

Evil scientist picked up a phone and called his assistant to come as soon as possible. Jack couldn’t imagine a lovelier scenario than more people witnessing the new and creative ways they would come up with to torture him now. He felt like he was going to be sick. He would never escape this. If Phil hadn’t found him yet, how long would it take for him to find him in a more secure location?

The greasy scientist approached with a defibrillator, and when the paddles were placed on his chest, Jack was engulfed momentarily in sharp pain before his world went black.

~~~~~

It was the early hours of the morning, and instead of sleeping in his base quarters, Phil was hunched over his desk. He didn’t really need to be working, but he couldn’t sleep either. He couldn’t stop thinking about Jack, and all the worst case scenarios kept running through his head. He was an experienced field agent and now as the Director, he had seen more action in his life that anyone under his command. He had faced down aliens, and he had survived death and the horrific procedures used to bring him back. All that, and he couldn’t shake how personal this situation was for him. He couldn’t concentrate on anything but getting Jack back, and they were stalled out, making no progress.

Suddenly his phone rang, jolting him out of his melancholy. “Coulson.”

“Sir, it’s me. I think I know how we can get him back. I got word they are planning to transport him to another facility tomorrow night. I’m still working on extracting information, but as soon as I have the details, I’ll come in so we can organize an op.”

Phil thought he heard a pained grunt from someone in the background of May’s call, but chose to ignore it. He knew the skill set she was going to use to get that information, and he didn’t regret it one bit. He would be doing the same if he thought he had the control and mindset to accomplish the task at this point. May was staying objective and getting the job done, and Phil was overwhelmingly grateful to his friend for stepping up in a way he couldn’t right now.

"Thank you, Mel,” Phil spoke softly. “Thank you.”

After this was over. After they had Jack back, Phil probably needed to do some soul searching about how he would handle the job if Jack stayed and something like this happened again. He had reacted far more emotionally than he anticipated, even having had relationships that intersected with the job in the past. Jack was something else though. Something special to him that others didn’t come close to. Jack was a longed for ideal that was now real and here, and everything Phil had wanted for the last decade could be falling into place. It was a heady thought, and Phil knew that no matter what happened between him and Jack, he would never be the same.


	10. Chapter 10

“Ok, people. May got us some intel that Hydra is transporting Jack tonight. We know the general locations he is being transported between, but we don’t have enough intel to take him in one of the buildings. Our best chance is to ambush them on the road and get him back before they can secure him again.”

Phil was calm as he spoke, putting on his Director persona with ease now that he had a target to fight for again. Jack was still in danger, but now they had a way to get to him, and if this failed, they had some new leads to follow. For the first time in days, Phil felt in control again.

“They’ll likely be transporting him in a van or SUV like they have used before, with one or two escort vehicles, and they’ll go sometime during the night tonight.” May spoke as she pulled up a map on the large screen. “They are taking him from their compound outside DC to somewhere near Pittsburg. We know they have him in some building in this warehouse district. The plan is to take a quinjet and park it nearby. Fitz can get us eyes on the security cameras near all the possible exit roads, and as soon as we identify them leaving, we can follow with the cloaked jet. We’ll make our decision on when to strike based on their route.”

“Ok, that’s the plan for now, folks. Mack, Daisy, Bobbi and Hunter, gear up. May, you’ll be piloting, and Jemma I’d like you along for medical support. We leave in two hours.” Phil walked out of the room and headed to his office. He would need some time to himself to get centered for this mission and gear up. There was no way he wouldn’t be personally raining down bullets on the people that held his Jack.

~~~~~

Jack was pretty sure he was in the back of a utility van. He was definitely on the move, but his memory of getting in the vehicle was pretty foggy. He was alive for the time being, but extremely weak. The little greasy scientist had decided they had enough time before transport to squeeze in a quick exsanguination after Jack revived from the electric shock. It had been a slow process, but thankfully one of the less painful ways to go. He just quietly slipped into unconsciousness from the blood loss.

Despite his ability to come back to life once they had actually succeeded in allowing him to bleed to death, he was still weak as his body built his blood supply back up and healed from the effort of doing so. That was probably the only reason they hadn’t drugged him, or killed him again for the trip to wherever this more secure facility was. He was grateful for that at least. Maybe he could gain some clues that would help him escape or find a way to let Phil know where he was.

He wasn’t particularly optimistic that Phil would find him soon. He guessed it had been more than a week already. He knew he could survive as long as it took, but he was quickly loosing hope that he would survive this with his sanity intact. So many years he had endured, and now he was struggling somewhere between the grief of the losses he’d suffered and the small hope that was growing for a new place to call home.

He was sitting with his back against the side of the van, wrists and ankles bound, and a hood over his head. It was dark out, he knew that much, but he wasn’t sure of what time it was. He was exhausted and trying to stay alert and coherent enough to gather information about his surroundings was difficult. He knew there was at least one driver, and probably a couple of thugs in the back with him. He remembered Greasy Scientist talking to the men about what he needed packed when they were loading, so he assumed there was at least one other vehicle carrying some gear and presumably the man that would continue to be Jack’s torturer.

They sped along the roadway silently for what had to be at least a couple hours, but he was pretty sure he had dozed or lost consciousness once or twice. Sitting against the metal floor and side of the van was allowing the cold to seep in through the thin scrubs they had dressed him in for the trip. It helped him stay a bit more alert though, as time wore on.

He was jolted from another doze when he felt the vehicle slowing down. It felt like they had used an exit ramp and were turning onto a slower road. With no windows in back, he had no way of knowing where they were, but he tried to stay awake now in case he could learn anything. They passed through a couple stop lights before the speed became steady again and they continued on.

Just as Jack was thinking they would be on this road for a while, he heard a loud crash from outside the vehicle, and the driver was slamming on the brakes. Jack and his two guards in back were tossed off their balance as the van came to a sudden stop.

“Hey! What was that?” Thug 1 was the first to right himself and yell to the driver.

Before they heard an answer, however, there was a brief pop of gunfire and then silence.

“They must have gotten Davis,” Thug 2 said, speaking of the driver. “They’ll try to come back here next, get ready.”

They both moved to the back of the van facing the backdoor, taking a defensive stance against the unknown threat. Jack was still lying on the floor where he fell, and he used the distraction to muster his strength enough to push and pull the hood off his head. He heard more gunfire outside, and decided that for now he was safest on the floor. Besides, with his ankles and wrists still bound he didn’t know if he could get up anyway. He was still weak and his coherency was tenuous at best, although the adrenaline of the moment did help some.

He didn’t have the strength to break out of the zip ties, but he did manage to scoot himself along the floor as close to the front of the van as possible. A part of him believed this could be his rescue party, but the dark places his mind had gone in the past week were a louder voice shouting that this may be a new enemy coming to take him for their purposes. He tried to give himself what protection he could and held his arms over his head and he curled on his side into the fetal position.

There was another burst of gunfire, and then suddenly the back doors of the van were wrenched open. The Hydra thugs were ready for it and fired their weapons out the doors, but within seconds they were down with answering fire. Jack lay taking fast shallow breaths, waiting for whatever fate would befall him, still unsure of who was completing this swift and violent take-down of their convoy.

“I’ve got something!” Jack heard a voice call, but in the confusion he didn’t recognize it.

He heard the clamoring of footsteps as someone entered the van. Then he was tensing as hands were on him, and he clenched his eyes shut and tried to curl in tighter on himself.

“Hey, man. It’s me, Mack. It’s ok, Jack, we’ve got you.” Jack didn’t move.

“Coulson, get in here!”

Jack heard more footsteps enter the van and talking in soft voices, but he was fading again, the panic and adrenaline wearing him down quickly in his already weakened state. There were hands on him again, pulling his arms away from his face. He couldn’t put up much of a fight, but then suddenly went limp when he opened his eyes to see a face he recognized.

“Phil?” Jack croaked out between breaths.

“Hey, Jack. I’m here. I want to cut these zip ties off of you, ok?” Phil’s voice was calm and held only the slightest tremor.

Phil gently maneuvered Jack until he could slice through the ties with a knife, and then he was running his hands over him trying to assess his condition.

“Ianto said you would come.” Jack’s voice was just above a whisper.

“What? Ianto is gone Jack, what do you mean?”

“Ianto said you would come. I wanted to die and be with him, but he said I needed you.” Jack paused to catch his breath. “He told me to accept what you’re offering.”

“Hush, Jack. It’s ok. I’ll be here. I’ll give you everything I can.” Phil voice was rough now with emotion. “Can you sit up? Are you well enough to walk?”

“Yeah, I think so. They drained all my blood the last time.” Phil visibly winced at that statement, but moved to help Jack to a sitting position. Jack tried to get his feet under him, and Mack, who had been standing back near the doors, came alongside him to put his arm over his shoulder. Between the two men, they got Jack on his feet and out of the van.

It was then that Jack saw the carnage of the situation. He could see an uncloaked quinjent parked in the roadway, which is where Phil and Mack began to steer him. Before they could get very far, Jack noticed a commotion arise near an SUV flipped on its side nearby. Jack presumed it had been one of their convoy. He could see Bobbi and Hunter struggling to pull the greasy scientist from one of the side doors, still dressed in his lab coat. He was railing at them about his treatment.

“Get your hands off me! What have you done? You’ve damaged all my equipment. Who do you think you are?” The petulant tone turned instantly furious and hysterical though, when the man saw Jack being taken to the jet. “Hey! Don’t touch that! I have so much more work to do on that specimen! You’ll skew my data! Release him now!”

Hunter jerked him in his hold on his arm. “Oi! That’s a person you’re talking about, and he doesn’t belong to you. We’re taking him back!”

“Do you know what he is? He’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before! He could be the answer to eternal life, to healing the sick and wounded! I just need more time to experiment with him! Think of all the things we haven’t learned yet! I’ve only begun to discover the limits of his ability to survive! I must continue this work!”

At that moment the greasy little man broke free of Hunter’s hold and rushed toward Jack. Phil immediately pushed Jack to lean against Mack and intercepted the scientist, grabbing him by the lapels and holding tight.

“Where were you taking him?” Phil’s voice was deceptively calm, but anyone who knew him knew how dangerous he was in that moment.

“I can’t tell you that!”

“Where were you taking him?”

“Hydra will kill me if I tell you!”

“I’ll kill you if you don’t.”

The man squirmed in Phil’s grasp. “How do I know you won’t kill me?”

“You don’t, and really I haven’t decided either way yet. I mean, you’re the man who has been conducting ‘experiments’ on Jack. I can only imagine how horrific that must have been for him, and I only know most recently what you did to kill him. Have you killed him more than once? Have you hurt him to see how he would heal? Have you tortured him for information?” The man in Phil’s grasp visibly paled as he went on. “Why don’t you give me some information that might be useful and we’ll see if that makes your life worth it?”

“Ok, ok! I don’t know much, but there is a bunker in an industrial park outside of Pittsburg where they were taking us. It’s supposed to have a lab where I can work.”

“Good. That was very helpful.” And just as that statement left Phil’s lips, he brought up his gun and shot the man point blank in the forehead. Phil didn’t make a habit of killing in cold blood, but he had no hesitation in doing it when he needed to, and in this case he was clearly satisfied to get vengeance for Jack.

The rest of the team checked for any Hydra men left alive, but there were none. Phil and Mack helped Jack onto the quinjet and into a seat. Jemma bustled over to check on him as everyone else piled in and the jet took off for the Playground.

“Jack, are you alright? Are you injured?” Jemma’s soothing voice calmed Jack some, but it was hard to focus on her questions and he didn’t respond right away.

“Jack, are you injured?” Jemma asked again more loudly.

Jack coughed. “I’m fine. I’m always fine. Just a little drained, if you know what I mean.” Jack broke into a quiet chuckle that had an edge of hysteria at his joke.

“He said they drained all his blood to the point of killing him. I don’t know how long ago, but it’s been at least a few hours and he is still weak,” Phil explained.

“Ok.” Jemma pulled out a cuff and was silent a moment while she took Jack’s blood pressure. “Blood pressure is still low, but if what we know of him holds true there is nothing we can do but let him rest.”

Phil sighed. “He’s been with them over a week. I can’t imagine that was the only thing done to him. His body may just be worn down after everything.”

“That may be true. I’d like him in the infirmary when we return so I can monitor him for a few hours to make sure he is indeed recovering.” Jemma packed her med kit and retreated to her own seat.

Settling in for the ride Phil put his arm around Jack and pulled him close. He pressed a kiss to his temple and spoke softly so only Jack could hear. “It’s ok now, love. I’ve got you. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure they can’t hurt you anymore.”

The exhaustion finally overtook Jack as the last of the adrenaline wore off. He drifted off quickly having heard Phil’s words, but not really comprehending them.


	11. Chapter 11

Joey woke pinned down by a warm, firm body. He realized Mack was draped over him in sleep, and their legs were tangled together. He blinked further into wakefulness, and began to shift and stretch a little. That’s when he felt the satisfying muscle soreness of their intense coupling the night before.

“You ok, baby?” Mack mumbled with his eyes still closed.

“Yeah, sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Mack raised his head and opened brown eyes to smile down at Joey sleepily. “It’s never a chore to wake up with you.”

Joey chuckled, then rolled them over so he could nuzzle into Mack’s neck and soak up more of the warmth of the moment. They lay silently for a few minutes, both reluctant to get up and out of bed.

“Are you really ok?” Mack asked softly. “I’m sorry I got a bit, ah, demanding last night.”

Joey reviewed memories of the night before, remembering their passionate love-making. Mack had been quiet and brooding when they returned with Jack, and as soon as he and Joey were alone, he had taken control and taken Joey apart with a possessiveness he didn’t normally show. 

“I'm really ok, and if I hadn't been totally fine with anything we did last night, I would have told you. Frankly, it was really hot and probably just what we both needed if I'm reading you right.”

Mack grunted his acknowledgment. They were quiet a few minutes longer, Mack slowly running his fingers through Joey's hair. Then Mack’s deep voice broke the silence again.

“I kept thinking that could have been you.”

“Hmm?” Joey lifted his head from Mack’s chest to look at him.

“I kept thinking of what could have happened if Hyrda got to you before we did. If they took you now. I just can't imagine anyone hurting you like that, and it made me a little crazy last night and I'm sorry.”

“I already told you there is no need to be sorry. It scared me too. My whole life is different now, and it's scary to realize I'm a target for my abilities. But I was lucky. You found me. I have a new job I love. I have a man I love. I’m in the best place with the best people I can be.”

Mack smiled. “You're awesome. I love you too.”

“Feeling better?” Joey laughed as Mack rolled him onto his back and loomed over him, a playful glint in his eyes.

“I'll show you how I'm feeling,” Mack practically growled. He lunged forward and their lips met in an enthusiastic kiss that immediately turned filthy. They had no reason to be anywhere early this morning and they were about to take full advantage of that.

~~~~~

Here they were again. Phil in a chair beside Jack’s bed in the infirmary. He was starting to really resent being in this position. Jack had slept the deep sleep of the exhausted and physically depleted on the jet all the way back to the base. He had roused briefly when they landed and Phil had helped him make it down the ramp to a gurney where he collapsed back into sleep before they had even left the hangar.

Phil looked at the clock. It was going on 0800 and Jack had been asleep since they returned four hours ago. Jemma had long since left, assuring Phil that he was healing and his blood pressure was steadily increasing in its return to normal levels. They wouldn’t know the true extent of any injuries sustained while he was held unless Jack told them, because his body healed and covered up evidence of any torture.

Phil wondered to himself if Jack would even tell them everything. He knew he would tell them any details about Hydra he learned while there that would help them in their fight, but would he reveal everything he suffered? Would he keep all that to himself so he didn’t have to relive it or to spare others from the grim truth of what he suffered? Phil knew Hydra, and he knew that probably the worst things they could imagine did indeed happen to Jack while he was imprisoned there.

A change in Jack’s breathing alerted Phil and he shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to watch the man more closely. Even his unwashed state and growth of stubble didn’t detract from his attractiveness. The only unsettling thing was the pallor of his skin; evidence that he was not fully recovered yet. Phil drank in the sight, grateful to have him back under his care.

Jack’s breathing was growing fast and labored. Phil slowly reached out and took one of Jack’s hands, laying limply on the sheet, in both of his. This didn’t serve to calm the man though. Suddenly Jack let out a shout, but was clearly still caught in the throes of a nightmare.

“Jack. Jack, you’re ok. It’s Phil. I’m right here.” Phil kept his voice calm and soothing, but it didn’t seem to have any effect.

“No! Please!”

Phil’s stomach dropped at the broken cries.

“Don’t! Don’t kill me again!”

Phil couldn’t take any more. He stood and shook Jack’s shoulder a little calling louder.

“Jack! Wake up! You’re not there! We got you!”

Jack gasped and opened his eyes, wildly searching until he focused on Phil’s face. Phil reached out and cupped his cheek.

“It’s ok. It was just a nightmare. You’re safe. You’re in the infirmary at the Playground and I’m right here with you.”

Jack’s breathing slowly returned to normal and he unclenched his fists where they had balled up in the sheets. Phil stepped back and grabbed Jack a cup of water, and he took a few sips before he spoke.

“I’m sorry. You don’t need to be here. You don’t need to wake me up from my nightmares like I’m a child.”

The bitterness in Jack’s tone surprised Phil. It was unlike anything he’d heard from the man. Even in their more serious discussions, even when Jack was tired and low, Jack’s inherent optimism for life seemed to bleed through. Or at least he kept the mask up better. Phil couldn’t fault him given everything that had just happened, but he wouldn’t let him push him away.

“I want to be here. I’m not treating you like a child, I’m treating you like someone I love.”

Jack was quiet and sullen for a moment before he spoke.

“You called me love on the jet. I remember that. You can’t love me after a few weeks and a couple good fucks.”

“I think you’re forgetting that I’ve been half in love with you for years. I loved the idea of you, even if I didn’t know anything about you beyond the surface. We’ve been honest with each other in this short time we’ve been back together, and that had shown me a lot.” Phil paused and grimaced, scrubbing a hand over his face. “The last week and a half have made me realize the depth of my feelings for you, and I don’t need to waste time dancing around it or waiting for some significant moment to tell you. It just is. Whether you accept it or not, I love you.”

Jack didn’t respond, but turned his head away to stare blankly at the opposite wall.

After a moment, Phil continued softly. “I hope you accept it. You deserve to be loved, Jack.”

Jack wiped his hand over his eyes as if wiping away moisture. Before Phil could do or say anything further, Jemma bustled in.

“Well, hello, Jack! I’m so glad you’re awake and back with us!” She intoned cheerily as she pulled out a blood pressure cuff and proceeded to take Jack’s blood pressure again. She was either distracted by her duties, or simply ignoring the tension between the two men in the room.

“All right. Your blood pressure is just about back to normal. I’ve had you on IV fluids, so you should be adequately rehydrated. I think you are free to leave, but I would recommend a good meal, drinking plenty of fluids and more rest.”

“Thank you, Jemma,” Jack said. “I appreciate your help.”

“I’m doing my job, but I’m glad to be able to help a friend.” Jemma smiled as she gently removed the IV and then left after putting everything away.

“Ready to get out of here?”

“Oh yeah.” Jack seemed to be settling into himself a bit more.

Phil hesitated only a moment before making his offer. “Come back to my rooms. I have the basics for breakfast and a hot shower with your name on it.”

“Yeah, that sounds really good.”

Phil helped Jack sit up and stand, and when he was steady on his feet they made their way through the base to Phil’s quarters. He had a suite with a small kitchenette and living area, and a bedroom with attached bathroom. He took Jack through to the bathroom, grabbing a well-worn Army t-shirt and sweats for Jack, and a t-shirt and cotton pants for himself, on his way through the bedroom. He grabbed them both towels and turned on the water.

“I don’t need babysitting in the shower,” Jack said a little petulantly.

Phil sighed. “I’ve been up all night and I need to get clean. Besides, who else is going to scrub my back?”

Jack’s blank expression cracked a small smile at that, and he stripped out of the thin, dirty scrubs Hydra had dressed him in, and stepped into the warm steam and spray. Phil joined him a moment later. Jack had just leaned back to wet his hair and was reaching for the shampoo when Phil stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Let me.”

Phil proceeded to lather shampoo in Jack’s hair in a way that was both tender and firm, and had Jack closing his eyes in bliss. After he had rinsed his hair, Phil soaped his hands and ran the lather over every inch of Jack’s skin. He took his time, cataloging every inch, and finding no visible changes that would indicate the trauma Jack endured. When Jack was thoroughly clean, he stepped out of the shower. Phil wasn’t sure if he was trying to distance himself from the intimacy, or if he was just trying to be efficient. Regardless, Phil quickly finished washing himself and stepped out to find an empty bathroom.

Phil found Jack seated on the couch in his living room, leaning into one arm, feet tucked under him. He didn’t say anything to the other man, who seemed lost in thought, but continued to the kitchenette and began making them a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. When it was finished and two plates were set at the small kitchen table, Jack joined him and they ate in silence. Jack was clearly still tired, but Phil felt he was thinking over something too, so he didn’t break the quiet as they finished.

“Do you have a razor?” Jack asked just as he cleaned his plate and set his fork aside.

“Only a straight razor. I’m the kind of guy to have an appreciation for quality and skill over convenience.”

Jack smiled. “Now that is something we definitely have in common.” He held up his hands. “I’m still a little shaky, would you mind?”

Phil was a bit stunned by the request, but didn’t show it. He knew Jack humored him in the shower, but this was a request for an act that required trust and practically screamed intimacy. Maybe Jack wasn’t so far from being on the same page as Phil had thought. Phil stood and took their used dishes to the sink, then grabbed the chair he had been sitting in and took it to the bathroom, placing it near the sink.

Jack had followed and without a word, sat down on the chair. Phil pulled out his shaving kit, and made a lather, gently applying it to Jack’s face. Jack closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Phil was mesmerized by the sight, but kept his mind on the task as he proceeded gently removing the growth of the last week, stroke by stroke.

At a moment when Phil was rinsing the blade of lather, Jack broke the silence without opening his eyes.

“You killed him for me.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t strike me as the type to kill for vengeance.”

“I don’t know everything, but I know enough to understand that man deserved to die for what he did to you. I don’t regret it.”

Jack didn’t respond, but seemed to accept that answer. Phil was finished soon after, and used a towel to wipe Jack’s cheeks and throat clean. Jack still hadn’t moved or opened his eyes. Phil couldn’t help but lean in, placing a hand on the now smooth cheek and covering the soft lips before him in a tender kiss. Jack didn’t respond immediately, but after a moment returned the gentle pressure as a small noise escaped his throat.

Phil pulled back to see a single tear leaking from Jack’s eyes that remained firmly closed to the outside world. He gently brushed it away, and let his hands skim down Jack’s shoulders and arms to grasp his hands.

“Come to bed. We both need to rest.”

Jack opened red rimmed eyes and nodded. He stood and they made their way to the large bed, Phil turning out lights as they went. Jack climbed into bed first, and lay unmoving on his side as Phil climbed in the other side.

“Here,” Phil said, and pulled on Jack’s shoulder until he had rolled and curled into Phil’s side. “Just sleep. I’ve got you.”

Jack’s exhaustion caught up with him again and it wasn’t long before he was breathing deep and even into the crook of Phil’s neck. It took Phil longer to follow, even though he had been awake for over 24 hours. He couldn’t help but be hopeful that Jack would recover and allow this thing growing between them to become something serious. He was already there. If he was honest with himself, he had been from almost the first moment he saw Jack again. Phil knew he couldn’t expect the same from Jack though, and he would wait patiently, taking what he could get in the meantime.


	12. Chapter 12

Phil woke quickly, as he always did. Once he had catalogued his surroundings though, he relaxed and enjoyed the moment. Jack had hardly moved during the night and had his head resting on Phil’s chest, arm slung across his middle.

Phil took a moment to look Jack over. His skin held a healthy flush again and he seemed to be resting comfortably. Thank goodness that despite the physical horrors Jack had endured, at least their effects were short lived. Phil sighed and closed his eyes again, content to rest without disturbing Jack for a little while longer.

He didn't need to wait long though before he felt Jack stirring. Phil opened his eyes to see intense blue ones staring back at him. 

“Morning.” Jack's voice was gravely with sleep. “Or afternoon. Or whatever time it is.”

Phil smiled with warm affection at Jack.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Jack paused as if taking stock of his body. “In fact, a lot better. Better than I felt the whole time I was with them.”

At that Phil couldn't help but move and embrace Jack tightly, moving his left arm carefully as he had taken his hand off before climbing into bed. “I'm sorry we couldn't get you out sooner.”

“Knowing you, you did everything in your power to get me back as soon as possible, and I'm so grateful you did.”

Phil just grunted in response, not believing Jack's words and regretting all over again not being able to make a move faster.

“Seriously, stop it,” Jack said.

“What?”

“Stop beating yourself up. You came for me, and I'm safe now.”

“But that's just it. You aren't. You aren't safe. They know about you now, and they know you are working with S.H.I.E.L.D. They might try to get you back, or find a way to eliminate you all together.”

Jack looked like he was about to argue, but Phil couldn't stop himself now. He had the sudden realization that Jack needed to leave, to get far away from S.H.I.E.L.D. or even Earth if he had to. Wherever he would be out of Hydra’s reach.

“You need to leave.” Phil couldn’t keep the pain from his voice, but he plowed on. “You need to get far away from here, from me. You need to go somewhere Hydra can’t get to you.”

Jack looked stunned. “What?”

“I can’t keep you safe. You need to leave.” Phil’s voice cracked a little with his plea.

“No. Just no. In fact, fuck no.” Jack huffed. “I don’t think you get it. Nowhere is truly safe for me, Phil. That’s one constant I’ve learned over the years. I would rather be with a man who I care for and who cares for me in return, fighting for what's right and helping people together, than running away again to some unknown place with nothing waiting for me there.”

Jack rolled himself on top of Phil and took his face in his hands. “I talked to Ianto while they had me. I don’t know if it was a dream or a hallucination or if he found a way to really talk to me, but whatever it was it helped me get some things straight in my head. He told me you’re a good man and that I need you in my life right now, and I think he’s right. You are where I want to be, and you can’t scare me off or push me away.”

"Jack-"

“No. Shut up and let me show you how much I want to stay.”

With that Jack was on him. Lips covering lips and body covering body. Phil was tense at first, still questioning himself, but the overwhelming scent and taste of Jack soon enveloped him as he surrendered to the onslaught.

Phil opened his mouth to Jack and their kiss was intense. He felt like Jack was trying to show him what he was willing to give, and Phil gladly accepted it. They continued to kiss passionately for several minutes until Jack pulled back, both of them panting for breath.

“I want to be inside you,” Jack said between breaths.

“Yes, Jack. Please.”

They both shuffled around, quickly removing the barrier of clothes they had slept in. Jack started kissing along Phil's neck and collarbone before moving down to lave at his nipples with his tongue. Phil arched into Jack’s enticing mouth, silently begging for the attention. Jack was just getting started though, and began to work Phil over, giving him everything he craved from a lover.

Phil let out a low moan of disappointment as Jack finally left his chest and moved south. Phil decided he needed to be touching Jack as well in that moment, and he moved his hand to comb through thick brunette hair and stroke across a strong shoulder. Jack practically purred at the attention, and paused to give Phil a sexy smile and run his hand lightly over the sensitive skin above the port on Phil's left arm. Jack kissed his way down Phil's stomach and then licked into his belly button before nipping lightly at the trail of hair leading down to Phil’s leaking cock.

Phil was enjoying being the focus of all of Jack's attention and experience. Jack was completely without inhibition when they were in bed together and it was both refreshing and incredibly addictive. Any more thoughts were stolen away from him though when the head of his cock was enveloped in wet heat.

“Fuck yes, Jack.”

Jack didn't move to pull more of Phil into his mouth though. Instead he kept suckling the head, using his tongue to occasionally tease the slit. Without releasing him, Jack nudged Phil's legs apart and knelt between them. Phil had enough coherent thought left to grab the lube out of the nightstand with his one hand and toss it down by Jack's head.

Jack moved his hand to start gently stroking and pressing behind Phil’s balls. It was just enough of a tease on his prostate that Phil was soon making aborted thrusts in an attempt to get more friction one way or another. Jack wasn't giving in though, using his free hand to hold down Phil’s hips. 

Jack kept up the teasing until Phil started to beg under his breath. Finally then, the hand on Phil's perineum disappeared and he heard the snick of the cap on the lube. Jack's mouth still hadn't left the head of his cock and the frustration was building. 

Just when Phil was about to truly beg, his whole cock was enveloped at the same time that Jack thrust a slick finger all the way inside him. Phil cried out at the dual sensations and unconsciously tugged at Jack's hair in his effort not to come immediately. Jack moaned around Phil's cock as his hair was pulled and the vibrations set more nerve endings alight with pleasure.

"Oh god, Jack! You have to stop or I'm going to come!”

Jack pulled of with a smirk. “That's the goal, gorgeous.”

“I want you in me when I come.”

Jack's eyes darkened and he leaned up to kiss Phil fervently. Phil was breathless again when Jack pulled back and began moving the finger he still had inside him. Jack used a slow rhythm to begin to prepare Phil. He didn't wait long before adding a second finger.

“So tight, baby. You look so amazing spread out for me.”

Phil’s already flushed face darkened further with a blush. He felt so exposed, but allowing himself to be open with Jack felt right too. He had no reservations about being vulnerable with this man.

Jack was now thrusting and twisting his fingers at a steady pace. Phil was practically writhing on them. Jack withdrew them most of the way and slowly pushed in with a third. This time, instead of teasing thrusts, Jack aimed right for Phil's prostate and began stroking it on every pass.

Phil quickly dissolved into incoherent babbling until he gripped Jack's arm suddenly.

“Please! Please, Jack. I need you!”

Jack was visibly trembling himself and quickly removed his fingers, lightly slicking his cock and positioning himself at Phil's entrance. He moved one of Phil's legs around his waist and placed the other over his shoulder, so Phil wouldn't need two hands to hold himself open. The seasoned agent was still flexible after years of being fit for field work, and Jack took full advantage of that.

Phil opened his eyes and met Jack's as he began to press forward. Phil reveled in the pleasant burn turning to a feeling of fullness as Jack finally stopped flush against Phil's ass. Phil could feel all the points where they were connected. Jack's hands on his hips, his legs wound around Jack, and the place their bodies were so closely joined they felt like one. The pleasure rolled along his hot skin and he let himself feel it all.

"Please," Phil breathed out softly.

Jack took the cue and pulled back slowly, pushing forward again at the same pace. A few slow thrusts was all it took before Phil decided to get Jack to give him what he wanted. He reached down and grabbed Jack’s hip and pulled him down as he thrust up hard on the next stroke clenching his inner walls around Jack's cock as he did so. Jack gasped at the intense sensation and smiled down at Phil as he pulled back and started a fast and hard pace. It was apparent they had both had enough teasing and we're ready for more.

“Yes, yes. Fuck you feel amazing!” Jack praised Phil as he continued his frenzied pace, pulling out and slamming back in. Phil felt him changing his angle slightly until finally he hit the perfect spot and Phil couldn't keep in his cry of pleasure.

“Yeah, baby. I got you. Let me hear you.” Jack encouraged Phil as he aimed to hit that perfect spot over and over. 

Phil was keening steadily now and arching his body to meet Jack at every thrust. He was lost in all the sensations and even though Jack continued a litany of filthy praise, Phil didn't really hear the words being said. He was trembling, and with a thrust that nailed his prostate hard, he suddenly clamped down around Jack and came in long pulses between them, crying out Jack's name.

Cock worked by Phil's contracting walls, Jack followed him over the edge quickly and Phil shuddered again as he felt Jack's hot come deep inside him. Jack moved Phil's legs down, and collapsed unsteadily but gently on top of Phil, still inside him. 

"Mm, that was fantastic,” Phil slurred between breaths after they had a few minutes to recover.

Jack stroked a hand along Phil's cheek. “Fucking hell, Phil. Fantastic doesn't even begin to describe it. You were just stunningly beautiful giving it all up for me. Thank you.”

Phil blushed and turned his face into the crook of Jack's neck. He realized he had surrendered to this man in ways he hadn't for anyone before. Terror and relief warred within him. Here was a man that could take Phil apart and put him back together in ways no one had before, and he already had Phil's heart. Despite the intense feeling of vulnerability, Phil felt comfortable that he and Jack were on the same page, or at least close to it. If Jack was willing to stay despite the danger, maybe that meant he was willing to open his heart to Phil as well.

Jack gently pulled out, both of them groaning softly at the sensation, and rolled to his side. Phil stayed on his back, eyes closed, just basking in the moment. He felt Jack's eyes on him after a moment, and opened his, blue meeting blue. 

“I meant it when I said thank you.” Jack caressed Phil's left arm and continued. “So far I've known you to be the kind of man that doesn't let his guard down easy. The fact that you are willing to be this vulnerable with me…” Jack paused and gave a significant look toward the port on Phil's arm. “I know what that means and I just want you to know that I don't take it for granted.”

Phil smiled. "I appreciate that Jack, but the truth is that taking my arm off in front of you doesn't make me feel half as exposed as the fact that I gave my heart to you almost from the moment you came back into my life.”

Jack didn't say a word, but looked stunned, as if Phil had just surprised him with a gift. In a way he had. Phil was putting himself fully on the line, and it was obvious Jack understood the significance of that. He leaned in and kissed Jack tenderly, conveying his words through actions and opening the door for Jack to do the same.

They kissed lazily for a while before getting up to shower. They did so together, washing each other and enjoying the quietness of the moment. They got dressed, Jack stealing back the Army Rangers t-shirt and sweats Phil had given him the night before. Phil smiled at the look, and figured Jack would need to head back to his quarters for some real clothes at some point. He was dressed casually as well.

Phil made them a simple meal, heating some soup and pulling out some hearty bread to eat with it. He figured comfort food was still the way to go, and it was what he wanted right now as well. They had slept through most of the day and it was now early evening. They sat and ate in silence, Phil reading emails on his tablet while he ate, and Jack just enjoying the hot meal. Jack was even hungry enough for seconds, which Phil took as a good sign for his health and recovery.

When they were finished and had cleaned up, Phil broached the subject he was regretting. He hated to ruin the sanctuary of calm they had created here between them.

“We should debrief with the team. I sent out a message to have everyone meet in a half hour.”

Jack visibly tensed. Phil approached and pulled Jack into a hug.

“You don’t have to tell everyone the details if you don’t want to. I think it’s important for you to talk to someone about everything they did to you, and for medical reasons, it may be relevant to have some of that information in a report in your file. I don’t have to be that person, but I can be if you want.” Phil’s soft and steady words seemed to relax Jack slightly.

“There are things you all need to know. I’ll give you as much information as I can. I know you’ve been fighting Hydra a long time, and there is a new threat I need to tell you about.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Phil said and kissed him chastely on the lips.

They separated and left Phil’s suite, Phil to go to his office to prepare for the debrief, and Jack to go find some real clothes.

~~~~~

Jack had gone to his base quarters to change into some of his own clothes. It felt good to be dressed for once, and he needed that added armor they provided. He found a pair of jeans, but couldn’t part with Phil’s shirt yet. It smelled like him and was soft and comfortable. He decided to keep it on and threw a leather jacket over it. He looked good. Casual, but definitely sexy. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to project his usual swagger even if he didn’t fully feel like himself yet.

He made his way to Phil’s office, where the core group was gathered. May, Bobbi, Hunter, Daisy, Mack, Fitz and Simmons were all present. It was intimidating to have to rehash everything with all these people, but Jack knew he had to tell them of the threat that was coming. He couldn’t tell them everything. Not and keep his sanity. He figured he would get Phil alone sometime and spill his guts about the rest in a place where he could break down in his arms if he needed to.

“Ok everyone, obviously this situation was really fucked up, and I’m not happy that we didn’t get to Malick or take more of Hydra’s people down during the op to rescue Jack, but hopefully the intel we gathered then and from Jack will help get us some new leads on them. I wanted you all here because I think if we listen and discuss this as we go, we might find useful bits of information or new angles that one or two of us wouldn't have on our own.”

Everyone was gathered, sitting or standing in a loose circle, and Jack decided to sit on the edge of Phil’s desk to do this. He affected a casual outward demeanor and began, trying to pare the retelling down to what might be most relevant without making himself too vulnerable.

“I don’t think I can tell you much about where they held me initially. It was your typical concrete underground lair, I guess. They have something there though, that was pretty scary, even for Hydra. I read enough case files and heard enough to know who Grant Ward was. I know you all thought he was dead. Technically he still is, but there is a thing using his body and working with Hydra.”

“What the hell?” Hunter exclaimed.

“What do you mean?” Daisy asked, looking a little shaken.

“I mean there is an alien or inhuman or something inhabiting Ward’s body and using it as their own. I never saw it or was given any information as to its true identity, except for when I was exposed to its powers.”

“Ok, wow. You better start at the beginning on this one.” Daisy replied.

“I was held in a simple interrogation type room for a while and then taken to meet this thing. I got there and was introduced and he tried to do some mumbo jumbo on me where he held out his hand. I got the impression from what he and Malick said that whatever he intended to do would secure my loyalty. Make me their puppet. This was before they really knew anything about me other than the fact that I could heal wounds. They thought I was an inhuman, and it appears they have other inhumans already allied with this thing in Ward.”

Jack shifted his weight to stand, and began pacing back and forth a bit as he talked.

“Giyera is one of the inhumans he controls. Other than him though, I didn’t actually see any other inhumans while I was there, though I have to assume there were some. Ward does this thing where he holds out his hand and a dust-like substance swirls out and toward his victim. With me it started that way and then at a certain point just stopped. Nothing happened. Malick was very disappointed. That’s when he decided to throw me to his little evil scientists to play with. I was their lab rat for a few days. At least, I think it was a few days. I wasn’t conscious the whole time, so I’m not totally sure.”

“What do you mean lab rat?” Bobbi asked from where she was seated.

“There’s more about Ward, or the creature using his body, isn’t there?” Phil asked. Jack was grateful that he saw the direction Bobbi’s question was leading and steered them away from there for the time being.

“Yeah, so one night I’m alone, secured in the lab. Giyera comes to get me, and doesn’t give me the option to say no, so I go with him. He takes me back to Ward’s room. Giyera almost seemed shifty, like following Ward’s orders was making him uncomfortable. I figured out later that this was not some errand sanctioned by Malick.

Ward approaches me and does a whole typical villain monologue before trying the hand thing on me again. Only it feels different this time. He said something about feeding from me. I don’t know if he thought he could absorb my powers, or gain strength from me or what, but this time it hurt like hell. I thought it was going to work, but then I actually started to glow a little. Yellowish, all over my skin. The pain was intense. Then I died.”

Daisy gasped. Almost everyone else looked uncomfortable at that point, but Jemma looked thoughtful.

“The Time Vortex.”

“What?” Jack was stunned she even knew the term.

“I’ve done a lot of reading on you and in reading about how your condition came about, I think it was the Time Vortex protecting you then, and some of it is still contained in you or connected to you, and protected you again this time. You died, but you came back. And Ward didn’t get what he wanted from you, I presume?”

“I can assume he was pissed. It didn’t work the way he wanted though I’m still not sure what would have happened if it had. Then Malick found out I’d died because of it and he was pissed too, because he thought his lab junkies just lost their favorite toy. That was where things got bad though, because I came back in front of the little evil scientist and Malick. They saw me revive, and that was when they got really interested in me.”

Everyone was quiet. They knew what that meant.

“How many times?” May asked softly in the silent room.

Jack sighed. “Two more before they decided they wanted to transfer me. I was lucky really. It could have been worse. You got me out before it got worse.” He tried to smile jauntily, but knew the trained agents were probably seeing right through it.

Phil took control again. “Ok, so Ward is back, sort of, this thing is powerful in ways we don’t really understand yet, and Malick is still out there keeping Hydra running. Let’s use the intel we have on the location they were going to transfer Jack to, and keep digging. If this thing can control inhumans, we don’t want them getting their hands on any more. They could create a super powered army controlled by one man. We keep trying to intercept new inhumans and keep them from becoming Hydra’s next victims. Thanks everyone.”

The group dispersed at Phil’s dismissal to go work on various related projects. Jack stayed behind. Phil approached and stood in front of him, putting his hands on his biceps.

“I hope you’ll tell me the rest sometime. I know it won’t be easy, but I think it’s important to know what really happened, since there is no evidence of it on you now. More importantly for you, I think it will help you get past it. It can’t be easy holding onto such horrible things.”

Jack leaned his head forward to touch Phil’s forehead. “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try. Just give me a little time to feel like myself again.”

“Done.” Phil tilted his head enough to kiss him, then he let Jack go and went to sit at his desk and continue working.

Jack was hungry, his body needing extra fuel after not having eaten for a week, and went to the communal kitchen in search of some food. He found it empty and searched until he found the fixings for a sandwich and set about making one. A voice suddenly broke the silence, and Jack found himself whipping around holding the knife that had been in his hand out in front of him. He realized it was May and mumbled an apology as he turned and set the knife back on the counter.

“Don’t be sorry. I should have made my presence known sooner.”

Jack was embarrassed at his reaction, but he put on the charm and tried to brush it aside. “You want a sandwich? I’m cooking.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me, you know. I’ve been there. Feeling like I have no control over myself after a bad op.”

Jack let his shoulders relax from their broad stance, but didn’t trust himself to say anything right then.

“Look, you need to talk to someone about it eventually or it will eat you up inside. Believe me, I know. I’m guessing Phil will be that person, and I’m happy for both of you. Really. I might be reading too much into things, but it seems like you’re prepared to stay with him. He needs it just as much as you do, so don’t think you’re burdening him or some nonsense like that. Just know that you’re one of us now, and if you need any of us, don’t hesitate to ask. We won’t push, but we are there for each other. That’s how this fucked up little family works.”

Jack chuckled. “Wow, you with the words again. I’m starting to think this strong silent thing is all an act, May.”

“Call me Mel,” May said smiling as she left the room. Jack couldn’t help but smile in the direction of her retreating form.

~~~~~

After he had eaten that evening, he had wandered back to Phil’s office and pulled him back into bed. They both needed to catch up on sleep and that’s exactly what they did. In fact, Jack found himself in Phil’s bed the next couple of nights as well. Jack wanted the comfort and allowed himself to seek it out without feeling guilty. He thought Phil needed to have him close too because he held him like he was precious every night. Their few nights together went a long way to making Jack feel like himself again.

They had all been working hard to make something of the leads they got on Hydra while they were still fresh. Jack had been trying to be helpful while avoiding probing questions at the same time. No one made any significant breakthroughs as of yet though, and they continued on with day to day operations. On the fourth night since he was rescued, Jack went to find Phil in his office early in the evening, hoping to steal him away for dinner.

“Hey, you.” Phil looked up and smiled at Jack as he spoke.

“Hey, handsome. Want to grab something to eat and spend some quality time with yours truly? I’m sure we could rustle us some grub in the kitchen.”

“I have a better idea. Let me finish up here and we can head out to my apartment off base. We haven’t really had time to get there lately, but it’s secure and I’m tired of spending so much time here.”

Jack grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “Can we take Lola?”

“I have been neglecting her lately.” Phil smiled and finished typing something on his tablet before turning it off and standing up.

Jack went back to his room and grabbed a change of clothes and then met Phil in the hangar where the vehicles were parked. Phil was standing leaning back casually against Lola’s bumper. The top couple buttons of his shirt undone and revealing tempting skin as Jack approached. Jack had no shame when it came to public displays of affection and he was happy to find that Phil didn’t either, as long as they kept it professional when on duty. Jack didn’t stop, walking right into Phil’s space and laying a hot and heavy kiss on the man. Phil wrapped him in his arms and gave back as good as he got.

“Sorry, you and this car just look too sexy together,” Jack panted once they separated.

Phil just laughed and told Jack to get in.

They drove through the city, stopping briefly to pick up some takeout from a Thai place Phil knew. When they arrived at Phil’s apartment, Jack finally felt like he was seeing all of the man. This place was homey. A couple of bookshelves in the living room had nick knacks and collectibles on them. The collection of Captain America memorabilia didn’t go unnoticed. The furniture was warm and comfortable looking, and there was a quilt slung over the back of the couch that was clearly handmade.

“You’ve been holding out on me, Phil Coulson. This place is great.” Jack kicked off his shoes by the door and promptly flopped down on the couch, spreading out with a sigh.

Phil moved to the kitchen and returned with glasses of wine for them both, setting them on the coffee table and sitting down, hip to hip with Jack. They each grabbed a box and some chopsticks and dug in, talking a little between bites about what they had done that day. When they were both full and satisfied, they sat back against the couch, Phil tucked under Jack’s arm. The silence was comfortable, both of them content to just sit.

“He liked to use razor blades.” Jack had been lost in his thoughts and his statement surprised even himself. Phil didn’t say anything, seeming to know Jack needed a listener right now.

“I think they kept me drugged. I was in and out a lot. Sometimes I would pass out from the pain, and sometimes I think the drugs would put me under. It was hard to tell.”

Jack paused for a bit, processing and deciding how much more he wanted to say. In the end he decided to just keep going and get it all out.

“They discovered I could regrow fingers and toes if they gave me enough time. They broke both my legs. They decided to try cutting out pieces of muscles one day. I don’t remember much of that because I lost a lot of blood and passed out quickly, thank god. The worst though was the skin. That’s when I would try to get lost in my head and escape what was happening. They took larger and larger sections, and the healing was almost more painful than the initial injury.”

Jack was quiet again for a moment. He knew he was breathing a little too hard, but he was past the point of controlling his reactions at this point.

“They kept me naked and strapped to an autopsy table. Easy clean-up of the blood that way. I was so cold. I just wanted any kind of warmth at that point. I imagined you holding me and how warm your hands and body would be against mine.”

“Oh, Jack.” Phil said softly and moved to embrace the man, tucking Jack’s head against his shoulder. “You’re safe, you’re not there anymore. Slow breaths with me, ok?”

Jack realized he was practically hyper ventilating, and he tried to match his breaths to Phil’s as he breathed in his comforting scent. After a few minutes he was breathing easier. He hated not being able to control his reaction. He hated that after everything he had lived through this was getting to him now in a way he couldn't keep buried inside.

“Don't start thinking like that.”

“Like what?” Jack said with a rough voice.

“Like you shouldn’t be reacting like this. Like you should have to hide this.”

Jack sighed. Phil was right. It wouldn't be good for him to try to suppress this. Maybe for the first time in his life he could have someone who would love him enough to accept his weakness. He'd always tried not to show that much of himself in a relationship. Even with Ianto there was plenty he held back. Maybe his life with Phil could be different.

“Jack.” Phil's quite address brought him out of his thoughts. “I need you to tell me a couple more things if you can.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I can keep going.”

“Ok. The broken bones. Do I need to have Jemma take x-rays to see if they healed correctly?”

Jack laughed mirthlessly. “No. They healed fine. Believe me, I felt it all over again when they reset themselves.”

Phil briefly tightened his embrace.

“Thank you. Can you tell me what they did after they found out you could come back to life?”

Jack shuddered involuntarily but answered Phil's question.

“Thankfully they didn't have a lot of time before the transport. He used a defibrillator to electrocute me first. Then that slimy dick of a so called scientist got his assistant to help him slowly drain all my blood until I died. I came back from that right before they loaded me for transport. I guess they thought they had a more secure location for me to play lab rat for them for the foreseeable future.”

“Fuck, I wish I could kill that little bastard again,” Phil said with firm resolve.

Phil's vehemence startled a laugh out of Jack. The laughing quickly morphed into rough sobs. Phil pulled him close and held on through the storm. Jack cried out his lack of control over his life. He cried for the way people had used him, and he cried for the people he had lost. He cried for the loneliness ahead as he outlived generation after generation. 

After a while Jack's sobs quieted until he was just breathing deeply in the silence. Phil was still holding him, now stroking a hand slowly up and down his back.

“I'm sorry, Jack.”

Jack was confused. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“I'm sorry for putting you in danger, and I'm sorry that someday I'll die and leave you behind. I'm sorry for all of it. You're an amazingly strong man. I don't know how you keep bouncing back.”

Jack chuckled a bit at that. "I don't know either. I think this is the first time I've ever been both honest with myself and another person at the same time.”

Phil pulled back to smile at Jack. “Thank you.”

That was really all that needed to be said between them. They sat back in silence, just holding each other. It was a while before either man moved or spoke, and it was Phil that broke the stillness. He stood and went to a small cabinet Jack hadn't noticed before. He opened the top to reveal a turntable, and pulled out a record, carefully lining up the needle as it started to spin.

Jack watched quietly and then smiled slightly as he recognized the tune. It was Sinatra. The Second Time Around. Phil came back over to where Jack sat and held out his hand. When Jack took it, he pulled him over to an open space on the floor and into a slow sway. They danced holding each other close through most of the song. At the last chorus Jack heard Phil sing along softly in his ear.

“Who can say what brought us to this miracle we found?  
There are those who'll bet that love comes but once, and yet  
I'm oh, so glad we met the second time around”

Jack was overwhelmed by the perfect moment. After everything he got this second chance at something both he and Phil needed. Jack stopped their movement and swept Phil into a kiss. It was full with meaning and passionate. Jack pulled back to look at Phil with that jaunty grin and spoke something neither of them expected when the evening began.

“I love you.”

Phil looked momentarily stunned, but recovered quickly as his flushed lips turned up to smile in return. “Another dance then?” 

The needle thumped over to the next song and as it began, Jack felt his heart swell a little with self acceptance and the promise that was building between them.

“Yeah, Phil. I've got another dance in me.”


End file.
